Hope is Where the Heart Is
by ElijahsElena
Summary: What are the chances of a cute gas station attendant changing the course of someone's life? Triad agent Hope Marshall, tribrid extraordinaire, just might find out.
1. Chapter 1

"There's been another sighting of this thing. A beautiful woman that emits a blue light when she kills. What the hell is she?"

The Hollow. Hope remembered her all too well, and the unlinking spell she'd done for Kol to separate the other witch from Davina. It had been not long after that that Hope had been taken, so the Hollow had gone underground, unable to remember what she was after.

How long had it been since they'd crossed paths?

Even as the question crossed her mind, the answer came.

Eleven years, exactly. Before her existence had been erased from the collective consciousness. Before Malivore.

Maybe this whole thing would be easier if she just went ahead and activated her vampire side. At least that way she could flip the switch and not feel anything at all. She would miss nothing and no one and be able to be the ruthless killer they imagined her to be. At least then, they would have a real reason to hate and fear her.

"You better keep your head in the game, freak," Burr cut her thoughts off. "Whoever we're going against, you need to be focused. Can't have you slipping up and getting humans killed because of your carelesssness."

He opened the door to the convenience store and Hope followed him inside.

"I'm not the one you should be worried about, asshole. I can hold my own. Question is, can you? You're the one who screwed up that last mission, not me. In fact, as I recall, I'm the reason it turned into a semi-salvageable success."

"One day, you'll mess up and I'll be able to finally put you down."

"In your dreams."

"Every night."

She rolled her eyes and headed to the drink section while Burr headed to the bathroom.

When she approached the counter to pay, she looked up to find herself looking into the kindest eyes she'd seen in so long, warm, deep dark brown and crinkled slightly at the corners. She blinked and lowered her gaze, but that was a mistake, because the next thing she saw was a plump pair of lips.

"Hello," he said with a smile.

She blinked and took in his whole face. He was beautiful with his brunette curls in wild disarray and a light scruff along his chiseled jaw.

"Going camping?" he asked, glancing at the equipment tied to the SUV at the pump.

"Uh no. Hunting." Hope set her sports drink on the counter.

"What are you after?" He rang up her drink as he spoke.

"We're uh, we're looking for a real killer." That's what the Hollow was. A woman who killed anyone and everyone in her path, just for the pleasure of taking a life.

"Specific target or are you just looking for the biggest kill?"

"Specific target who happens to be the biggest killer."

Did he know something or was he just trying to make conversation.

Concerned that she might be giving information away that might leak back to the Hollow, she studied his face, but found no hint of deception or fear in his eyes, so she decided he was just trying to make conversation and was a touch awkward at it.

"That made no sense," he remarked.

"Yeah, I know. But it's what we're here for." Hope handed him a bill to pay for her purchase.

"So, you're a big game hunter?" He looked her up and down, his grin deepening as he counted out her change. "Need a receipt?"

"No, thank you. And hey, don't judge me by my size, I like them the bigger the better. I got bored with the small stuff years ago because it got too easy, so now I've come up here, looking for something a bit more satisfying." Hope couldn't keep herself from smiling in response. She couldn't remember the last time she'd made any facial expression that involved her feeling good, and yet, here she was, talking to a cute guy in a convenience store and smiling like a fool.

"Gonna be around long?" He chewed on the inside of his cheek for a second.

"Um, just long enough for us to get what we're after, then we'll be leaving."

"Maybe it'll take a while, then you'll have to come back here." He bit his lower lip and looked at her from under his lashes.

"Maybe."

"You're seriously flirting right now?" Burr growled as he stomped up to them.

"Cool it. If you wanna be a jackass, feel free to do so away from me." Hope pointed to the car and then raised her hand so that it was level with her temple. "Because I've had it up to here with your attitude."

As white hot as her anger spiked in that moment, she knew that her eyes flashed a dangerous yellow and Burr looked from Hope to the man behind the counter before stomping away. Not even he was stupid enough to push her any further when her wolf side started to express itself.

She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, just to make sure that her eyes were normal before turning back to the man behind the counter.

With defeated shrug, she said, "Sorry about that. He forgets his manners sometimes. Especially when it involves me."

"Is he your uncle? Your dad?"

"Coworker." Thinking fast, Hope added, "My boss thinks we need to have a bonding exercise since we keep butting heads and it can make unnecessary messes, especially in high stress situations. So she thought the Olympic Northwest would be the perfect place for us. Away from anyone and everything we know."

"Doesn't sound like the smartest thing she could have done, all things considered. Hell, I've got a coworker that I can't get along with and my boss knows better than to put us on the same shift because we'll get nothing done."

"I think she's hoping we come back best friends, because having to rely on each other and all that should make us bond, but I think the more likely outcome is that," she dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "a _tragic_ _accident_ befalls one of us."

"Well, if you need an alibi, just tell whoever questions you that you were with me and I'll cover for you." He winked.

"You think I'll be the one to come out on top if something like that happens?" Most people put their money on Burr, even with her special abilities, so for a stranger to pick her as the winner, it was curious.

"I mean, you're not the one who looked afraid just now, so I'd say you've got some skills he's worried about." He looked her up and down, his cheek bulging slightly as he pressed his tongue into it. "So, if you do need that alibi, just let me know, and I'll be it."

Hope glanced at his name tag, "Sure thing, Ryan."

"Might wanna give me a heads up though so in case I need to mess up security footage so they can't prove you weren't here or anything."

"Okay. I'll try." Hope couldn't resist laughing at how sincere he seemed.

Burr honked the horn and Hope found herself jerked out of the moment and she grabbed the bottle off the counter as she headed towards the front entrance. Time to head back into the real world and leave beautiful men with their sweet smiles to people who wouldn't get them killed.

"Wait. I never got your name."

"Hope. My name's Hope." She smiled.

Then a chill set into her bones as she realized what she'd just said. Had she really given him her real name? What was she thinking? Then again, Hope wasn't an uncommon name, and she needed him to know at least one real thing about herself, and her very ordinary first name was the safest thing she could give him.

Breathing deeply, she forced herself to relax. Freaking out about giving him her real name would draw attention to the fact that she was supposed to remain under the radar and that would bring about questions she really couldn't answer.

"Here's hoping I see you again." He grinned, then he ducked his head a little. "I'm sorry. That was so bad. You've probably heard that a thousand times."

"Actually no. You are the first."

"Seriously?" His brows furrowed as though he didn't believe her.

"Yeah, I um I don't spend a lot of time around people who tease me and try to make me laugh."

"That's a shame, because you have a pretty smile."

"I think yours is better." Hope left quickly, cheeks burning with her own boldness.

It wasn't often that anyone called her pretty or even noticed that she was anything other than a weapon and she wasn't sure how to process it, so it was better if she bowed out now, before she managed to make a fool of herself.

"Wonder what he'd say if he found out how much of a monster you are. No way a human in their right mind would want to be with a witch," Burr sneered as soon as the SUV door closed behind her, his comment ruining her good mood.

"Not everyone is as opposed to the supernatural as you are, Burr. Now if you would be so kind as to not speak to me unless it's relevant to this mission, that would make me less likely to send your mother your head in a box." Hope leaned her head against the window. She didn't want to fight with him, not now, not when she was still riding high from her encounter with Ryan.

"For all you know I have a wife and children and you'd be depriving a family of a father and husband, not just a son."

"A workaholic like you able to maintain a family life? I doubt it." She scoffed. "And if you did, I doubt they'd miss your presence, what with your attitude."

"Bitch."

Hope smirked. That was the only thing he ever could say when she verbally backed him into a corner he couldn't work his way out of. Satisfied that he would be silent for now, she turned back to her own thoughts.

Ryan with his dark eyes and shy smile as he teased her about her name played through her mind. If only there was a way she could see him again. Something about him drew her in and those eyes, they were the eyes of someone who'd seen far more than his face suggested.

Was he supernatural? She tried to think back to his scent, but she'd been too taken in by his face to even register if he was anything other than human. Nothing about him had triggered her fight instinct, which most supernatural people did, especially if they weren't a protected species. So maybe he was just a human who'd been through a lot.

Burr's phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts, and he checked it.

"Monster trail went silent, according to HQ. We're to set up here for a while."

If she made her presence somewhat known, Hollow would come for her specifically, even if the ancient couldn't remember why, and when the Hollow did come, Hope would be ready, with a spell that would trap the power hungry witch in a prison of her own making. Even if the other witch suspected Hope was planning something against her and that she might actually succeed, the bloodline call would be too much to ignore, so all Hope had to do was wait.

Not that she was going to tell Burr any of her plan. To them, she was a very powerful witch/werewolf hybrid who'd somehow destroyed Malivore's body when she was thrown in. Anything else that made her unique or special, she kept to herself, especially if it involved her ancestry.

With the fact that they might be in the area for a while came a realization. She might actually get to see Ryan again.


	2. Chapter 2

Hope stormed away, furious. God, she hated that man!

Several hours later, without even realizing where she was going, she found herself in front of the convenience store she'd met Ryan in. What if he wasn't working today? On the off chance that luck was with her, she walked towards the building.

When she entered the store, she found Ryan alone, cleaning out the soda fountain.

"Hope!" Ryan grinned when he saw her.

"You said you'd be an alibi if I needed one. Mind keeping me from needing one?"

"Coworker driving you nuts?" He dunked the cloth into the cleaning solution and wrung it out before he started scrubbing at a stubborn spot.

"You have no idea."

"Where were you guys at before you left him?"

"Uh, I have no idea." Hope snorted. "I just started walking and then I found myself here. But, if he wants to find me, he knows how to reach me."

"Looks like this bonding trip is going just swimmingly."

"'Swimmingly?'" She giggled.

"I found that word in a book I was reading the other day and thought it was funny. Looks like I'm not the only one." He flicked a little of the cleaning water at her.

"You did not just-" Hope gasped in mock outrage. "Oh, you are so dead!"

Leaping at him, she punched him lightly, well, lightly for her.

"Ow!" Ryan cried out and grabbed his arm.

"Oh, my god! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you that hard!" Hope grabbed his sleeve and tugged it up, terrified as to what she would find.

His face split into a wide grin and he started laughing when she found nothing except pale skin that didn't even show traces of red.

"You ass. You weren't even hurt." Hope shoved him.

"Well, I could have been. You pack quite a punch for someone so small."

"Small?" Hope raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, small. You're at least a foot shorter than I am. Kinda hard to tell with those boots on though. But you're definitely tiny."

"How dare you insult my choice in footwear?" Hope kicked at him, though she was careful not to actually hit him. Combat boots were perfectly respectable footwear when one was going up against someone like the Hollow.

"Have you ever actually gone hunting?" He looked her up and down, brow raised.

"I dress how I like and I'll have you know that I'm very successful whenever I go out. I just don't feel like going out with my coworker right now because he's an ass and makes too much noise." Hope punched at him again.

"Violent little thing, aren't you?" Ryan caught both her hands in his and tugged her against his chest.

She hadn't couldn't believe she hadn't noticed his hands before until now, but with them wrapped around hers, she found herself entranced by them. Long fingered and elegant, they were the hands of a musician, not of a gas station clerk.

"I um. I swear I don't normally act like this." Hope flattened her palm against his chest. Pressed up against him like this, she became acutely aware of just how tall he was. With his slim build it was easy to think he was smaller than he actually was.

"So, what makes me special?" he murmured.

"I don't know." Hope looked up, meeting his gaze. "Maybe because there's something about you that makes me feel like you might understand, at least a little and so I don't feel like I have to be someone I'm not."

"Who do you pretend to be?" Ryan pressed, his dark eyes searching her face.

"A badass bitch who doesn't give a damn about anyone or anything, even though I wish-" she cut herself off, unable to believe she was opening up like this. A few kind smiles and positive attention were definitely her kryptonite and she needed to be careful.

The door bell jingled and Ryan dropped her hands while Hope stepped back as a taller woman with sharp features walked in.

"Mom." He greeted her with an apologetic grin.

"I've been called out of town this weekend and I know Landon is going to want to throw a party that he thinks I know nothing about. So if you could keep them from causing too much damage and make sure the cops don't get called?"

"I'll talk to Wes about switching shifts with me."

"Are you sure he'll do it?"

"Weekends are his favorite times to work."

"But that means possibly putting up with Chris."

"I think I can manage to keep from shoving his face into the deep fryer for a few hours."

"Ryan," Seylah chastised lightly.

"I'll be fine, Mom. Don't worry. Your job is more important than mine."

"Thank you." The woman raised an eyebrow at Hope.

"Mom, this is Hope. Hope, this is Seylah Clarke."

"Hope Marshall. It's nice to meet you." Hope glanced at Seylah's left hand and saw no wedding ring, so she left off 'Mrs. Clarke' on the off-chance Seylah was divorced.

"It's a pleasure."

Seylah looked her over carefully, those keen eyes making Hope think this woman was more than met the eye. With a final glance at the pair, she left the store.

"She's not exactly a people person," Ryan said by way of explanation.

"Is she a combat vet?" Hope found herself asking, then slapped her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry. That was none of my business."

"She is, in more ways than one and that's all I'm going to say about that." Ryan pulled out his phone and sent a quick text.

"Of course. I shouldn't have asked anyway."

"So, if you don't like hunting with your coworker and you keep putting off actually going out there with him, does that mean you get to stay in the area longer?" Ryan caught his lower lip between his teeth and grinned.

"Maybe."

"So keep putting it off." He was smiling now.

"I can't do it indefinitely, you know."

"Long enough that you might find that you should have a job where you don't have to work with clowns like that guy and you deserve to be around people who see you and want to get to know you for you."

"Like you?" Hope raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe." Something in his expression shifted and he looked away.

"Looks like I'm not the only one caught in a situation I don't want to be in."

"Yeah."

"So, I'll trade my story for yours. I'll even go first." Hope pulled herself onto the counter next to where he was working.

"Alright, Hope, what is your story?"

"I was taken from my family when I was seven and I haven't seen them in over a decade. I was raised by the people I now work for, have worked there for long enough that I feel trapped where I am and today's the first time I've ever thought that maybe there's actually a chance for someone like me to have more out of life than that."

"Why were you taken?"

"My dad got locked up after getting railroaded at his trial and things just went sideways from there."

"You've never tried going back, find out if they got things straightened out? They are your family."

"It's complicated. Maybe one day though, I'll find my way back to them when the time is right." When she found the spell that could return their memories of her, then she'd go back. "Your turn."

Ryan sighed and chewed on his cheek, silent for a long moment before he finally replied, "Bio dad is an evil dick who takes sadistic pleasure in hurting everyone around him, especially me. He finally pushed things too far when he raped Mom and then she found out what he was doing to me, so we ran. By the time we got away from him enough where we could breathe, she found out she was pregnant. We've managed to stay off his radar for years now and we're trying to keep off of it."

"I guess going to the cops isn't an option."

"Not since he's got a small army at his beck and call."

"Wow. Damn. And here I was feeling sorry for myself." Hope jumped off the counter and wrapped her arms around Ryan's waist.

As he returned the gesture, Hope realized that this was the first real hug she'd experienced since before she was thrown into the pit. All the longing for affection she'd felt in the intervening years poured out of her and she rubbed her cheek against his chest. Ryan ran his hand down her spine as he exhaled a shuddering sigh. Tears stung her eyes as her loneliness and desperation for touch threatened to overwhelm her, but she blinked them back.

This wasn't about her. This was about a man who'd endured a hell far worse than hers who needed to know it was okay to not be strong all the time. She had magic and once she found the spell she needed, she could fix things and go back home, but Ryan didn't have that option.

Taking a deep breath, she whispered a protection spell, allowing her power to flow through her.

Two birds one stone. She could protect Ryan from his father and draw out the Hollow when she sensed the familial magic in the area.

"You're the first person I ever told anything about it," Ryan confessed against her hair. "Most people just look at me and assume I'm just lazy and I'm purposely wasting my life. They don't realize I'm trying to stay in a position to keep my brother from going through what I did."

"You're being a good brother, and a good son," Hope assured him in what she hoped was an encouraging voice, though her throat was thick with her own pain.

The son who'd suffered the most, and was willing to suffer even more to protect his sibling, he reminded her of her dad. He'd endured five years of hell to make sure that his life force continued to feed his siblings to keep them from succumbing to the bite that should have killed them.

"I try." He pulled back and his lips pulled up just a little. "Heavy talk for having just met, huh."

"Blame me. I started it."

"You're easy to talk to, Hope. Dangerously so."

"I can keep a secret. I won't tell anyone or use what you've told me against you, I swear," Hope assured him.

"Thank you." He gave her a shaky smile. "And I promise you the same. I won't tell anyone and won't use what I know about you against you."

Ryan picked up the bucket of sanitizer water and carried it away to dump it.

Hope's phone buzzed, but she ignored it. She really didn't want the moment ruined by having to deal with Burr.

"So," Ryan returned to the main part of the store drying his hands on a paper towel. "Any chance of persuading you to come to the party this weekend?"

"What day?"

"Uh, it all depends on when my brother thinks he can get away with it, but most likely Friday night."

"Got a pen and paper?" Hope asked, looking around.

"Just a sec." He walked behind the counter and then laid the requested items on the counter.

Hope wrote down a series of numbers and slid it into the pocket on the front of his shirt. "Text me."

"Does it have to be just about the party?" He grinned.

"You have permission to text me about anything. But if you give my number out, I will hunt you down and beat you up for real." She poked him in the chest and he smiled widely.

"Don't tempt me, if it lets me see you again."

"Ass."

Hope's phone buzzed again and she finally pulled it out of her pocket, half afraid of what she'd find.

_Another body. Same marks._

_GET YOUR ASS HERE! _

Hope sighed as she typed _On my way._

"The dumbass?" Ryan guessed.

"Yeah. He's pissy because I'm wasting time instead of doing what I'm supposed to be doing."

"See you soon, Hope Marshall. And please be there. Dealing with high school students all alone is not something I'm keen on doing if I've got options."

"I'll be there. Promise." Lifting two fingers to her temple, she saluted and left the store.


	3. Chapter 3

When Hope picked up her drink from the counter, she nearly dropped the cup. The design the barista had done with the foamed milk, it was the serpent eating its tale, the symbol for the Hollow.

Hope looked at the girl carefully, wondering if she was perhaps in league with the other witch. But the girl showed no signs of recognition or of even being aware of what she did, so Hope took her drink and walked away with a smile and a wave over her shoulder.

Her plan was working. Soon, very soon, the Hollow would come for her and Hope was ready. But she couldn't tip her hand yet. The Hollow had to believe that Hope was a girl just looking for trouble, instead of a hunter, waiting for this predatory witch to dare to approach her.

As she headed down the street, she came face to chest with someone very tall and she looked up to find Ryan grinning down at her. In a light t-shirt, jeans, and brown leather jacket, his facial scruff more neatly trimmed than it had been the day before, he was the picture warmth, the kind of guy that a girl would be happy to bring home to her family.

"Ryan!" Hope smiled widely when she saw him. "You're not at work."

"I don't live there, Hope."

"I didn't think you did..I just wasn't expecting to see you around today."

"Hiding from your coworker again?"

"You'd better believe it." Hope took a sip of her coffee. "He takes the joy out of everything, including things I love doing all the time." Taking down rogue monsters was what she lived for, was all she had going for her, and yet, with Burr around, all she wanted to do was punch his face instead of doing what she was supposed to do.

"Any plans for what to do with yourself while you hide from him?"

"No, actually. I was just kind of wandering around, looking for something to do. See what kind of trouble I can get myself into."

"I can show you around town. Not that there's much to do or see in Aberdeen, Washington that'll measure up to whatever you might be interested in." He nodded down at her, indicating her spiked leather jacket, tight black jeans, and four in heeled boots. "At least not this part of it anyway."

Hope studied his face for a moment, then said, "This is going to sound so weird, but are there any good ice cream places around here?"

"You want chain store or local?"

"Um, I don't know. I haven't had ice cream that wasn't chocolate or vanilla from a box in years, so I don't know what's good."

"Do you have your heart set on ice cream? Or do you mind getting a milkshake instead? Because I know a place that makes the best milkshake I've ever had."

"I'm open to whatever you think's better around here, to be honest." Hope shrugged and laughed.

"Come with me. I know just the place." He caught her arm in his hand and guided her down the street.

"You probably think I'm really weird." Hope traced her fingertip around the rim of her paper coffee cup.

"Different, not weird. And in a town like this, different is a good thing."

"So, what do you like to do when you're not trying to keep your kid brother out of trouble?"

"Read, play music, and hike."

"Sounds kinda like me, except I paint, instead of play music."

"You're an artist?" He asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Yeah, it's something I inherited from my dad." Hope looked down at the sidewalk. "When I paint, I feel as connected to him as I can possibly be, all things considered, and it gives me hope that one day I can be with my family again."

God, damn it! Why did she keep opening up like this to him? Damn him and his warm, dark eyes and half smiles that encouraged her to reveal the parts of herself that she kept hidden from everyone else! No one knew why she painted, until now.

"As long as it's what's best for you, it's something you should work towards."

"I'll start focusing on it more once I get this whole 'coworker bonding trip that's more me hiding from the jackass than trying to get along with him'."

"Good."

"So, now that I've managed to bring down the mood, what kind of instrument do you play?"

"Guitar, mostly, and I sing."

"Country?" Hope teased, in an effort to lighten the mood.

"Uh, no. Not my style, at all." He laughed and elbowed her lightly.

"If I'm in town long enough, maybe you could play for me? At least if you're willing to. You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Maybe, but I'd have to write a song especially for you, because none of the music I have now would fit you."

"You write your songs and I'll paint and we'll just be quiet together." It was a pretty dream, but Hope knew it would only ever be that, a dream. Even if she managed to get back to her family, Ryan was human and didn't deserve to be dragged into the mess that was the supernatural.

"Sounds like a perfect way to spend time, if you ask me."

Especially if it's raining."

"I agree, that would make it even better, and very likely, considering where we are." He glanced up at the cloud covered sky, then looked down at Hope again.

"Introverts unite." Hope smiled up at him.

"Here we are," he opened the door to the shop and gestured for Hope to go on in, "and I prefer to think of it as selectively social, which seems to be what you are as well. Since we seem to get along fairly well."

"So far." Hope joked, attempting to hide the quick flash of fear.

What would he say if he knew she was a monster who hunted other monsters? Would he still look at her like that, with that soft smile and his dark eyes so warm and kind, if he knew about how many people she'd killed?

"So far," he agreed.

Hope approached the counter slowly, her eyes going to the tubs of different colored ice cream shielded by the glass. She had never seen this much ice cream at once, ever, and having this many options boggled her mind.

"So, pick your flavor and then we'll get them to mix it into a milkshake," Ryan murmured from just behind her.

"I um, I have no idea what I want. I didn't think there'd be this many flavors."

"Just point at one. They're all good, so you can't go wrong."

Inhaling, Hope caught a scent that reminded her of her mother. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut into triangles and the crusts removed while she had a tea party with her toys.

"Something with peanuts?" Hope looked at Ryan.

Ryan walked up to the girl behind the counter and said, "A peanut butter shake and a mint chocolate chip shake."

"Coming right up." The girl appeared younger than Hope, but with Hope's features skewing more towards the younger side, she couldn't say for sure.

"Could I have the whipped cream on the bottom?" Hope asked when she saw the girl pull out a can of whipped cream from the fridge.

"Sure. Do you want the cherry?"

"No. Thanks."

Ryan was staring at her with a brow raised when she looked up at him.

"What?"

"You, Hope, are a strange girl."

"Shut up." Hope elbowed him and he laughed.

"Come on. Let's get a table. They'll bring them out when they're ready." Ryan led the way to a tall, round table near the window and pulled out a chair for her.

"Thank you, kind sir." Hope put on her thickest southern belle accent and fluttered her lashes.

"My pleasure, milady." He bowed and they both started laughing again.

"I can't remember the last time I laughed this much," Hope admitted.

"Anything to be of service to the beautiful lady, hiding from her discourteous companion." He took the chair across from her and then rested his chin on his hand.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just wondering how much time I have left before the dream ends and you go back to your real life and I'm still here."

"You've got my number. You can text me, you know. Or we can figure out a time where we can actually talk to each other, so just because I won't be in town, we can still talk and do things together, in a way."

The waitress arrived with their shakes in tall glasses and set them on the table in front of them.

"I heard Landon is having a party this weekend," the waitress said.

"Uh, yeah. I overheard him talking to Raf about it last night."

"Will you be there?"

"Someone's gotta keep the heathens from trashing the house completely, so yeah. I will."

"Okay. See you there." The waitress glanced at Hope, her eyes curious, but she said nothing as she walked away.

Hope watched the exchange curiously.

"Girlfriend?"

"No. She's too young," Ryan laughed. "A friend of hers has a crush on me though, and since I come here often enough, she talks to me for her."

"Wow. That's kinda stalkery."

"Maybe a little bit," he agreed. "But it's harmless enough for now, so I just try to be nice about it."

"Back to what we were talking about earlier, I don't have friends, Ryan. There's no one in my life I can talk to the way I talk to you. So I would very much like it if you were to remain in contact with me after I leave town."

"So, friends?" He picked the bright red fruit off the top of the mountain of whipped cream and popped it into his mouth.

"Friends." Hope glanced at the girl behind the counter, then at Ryan. "You never asked me my age, nor do you seem concerned about me being too young."

"You're on a business trip, with a coworker, so you've gotta be at least eighteen."

"I turned eighteen this summer."

"See? So legal and with what you've told me, you've got the life experience that's aged you mentally, so I don't have anything to feel guilty about for spending time with you."

"Now I'm curious." Hope studied his face. "Anything happen between you and this girl?"

"Nothing happened because I found out how old she was and that was that. She's got the face that can lend itself for a little older than she is and I decided to believe her when she said she was in college, at least until I saw her at my brother's school."

"When did this happen?"

"About six months ago."

"And she hasn't let it go yet?"

"No, she hasn't."

"She should. I mean, you're a grown man and she's in high school. She's got a lot of growing up to do and needs to date guys closer to her age or at least closer to her life experiences." Hope took a sip of her shake and them closed her eyes, unable to stifle the moan as the flavor hit her tongue.

"Good?"

Hope nodded enthusiastically and took a deeper pull of her shake.

For a long moment, there was no talking as they enjoyed their drinks. Or at least, Hope enjoyed her shake while Ryan took sips of his and watched her, a smile on his face.

"What?" Hope asked, suddenly nervous.

"Nothing. Just thinking that you really need to get out and enjoy yourself more if a milkshake can make you this happy."

"Well, that's why I need friends, so they can take me out to places and show me things that I might like to do since the people who raised me and my coworkers don't think I need to have fun."

"So, I guess I have no choice but to be friends with you."

"None whatsoever." Hope smiled widely.

When he smiled in return, Hope's stomach did a funny little flip and she bit her lower lip. Since when did she want to kiss people? But she supposed that a human with a sad backstory and kind eyes that made her feel like she wasn't alone was as good a person as any for her to feel like that for, even if she never acted on it.

The girl from behind the counter pulled out her phone and started texting someone, staring at them in earnest.

"You wanna get out of here?" Ryan asked, glancing at the girl and then looking back at Hope.

"Let's go."

"Good. Come on. I've got more to show you."


	4. Chapter 4

Hope walked up to the house, following two girls in short skirts.

In her little black leather dress and thigh high five inch heeled boots, bought special for the occasion, and her hair in perfectly formed curls framing her carefully made up face, she felt a bit overdressed, but oh, well. She was here now.

When they walked through the front door without knocking, she did the same.

Music pounded, reverberating through the floorboards, and all around her people talked at the top of their lungs. Alcohol and marijuana filled her nostrils with every inhale.

What was she thinking? Being around a crowd of intoxicated teenagers after being mostly alone for so long wasn't exactly the smartest thing she'd ever done. Maybe she should leave. Except she promised Ryan that she'd be there. So she may as well at least keep her word and show her face.

Squaring her shoulders, she searched through the crowd for the man who'd invited her.

"Hope!"

She turned and there he was, leaning against a counter, his hands braced against it.

"You made it!" He said it like he couldn't believe she actually showed up.

"I said I'd be here and when I make a promise, I keep it."

"I was afraid you wouldn't be able to ditch the coworker."

"Oh, I dodged him hours ago by sending him on a wild goose chase for something." Nothing made Burr feel more important than thinking he could do something Hope couldn't and he'd jump on the opportunity to try to prove he was better any chance he got.

"You look sexy as hell." Ryan looked her up and down and gave her an impish smile as he looked at her from under his lashes.

She studied his face for a moment. "You're drunk."

"Just a little." He held up his thumb and forefinger as he grinned. "But still doesn't change the fact that you are by far the hottest girl in the building."

Grabbing her arm, he led her over to a table full of little cups of brightly colored… liquid.

"And soon, you will be too."

"What is this?

"Jello shots. Perfect for someone who's not used to alcohol. Which I don't think you are, considering you didn't know what they were."

"I keep a bottle of bourbon in my room at all times, so I'm not exactly unfamiliar with drinking."

"But do you take shots of it?"

"My father would have my head if he found out I did something so profane."

"So, Miss Marshall, allow me to introduce you to the concept of shots." Ryan picked two blue cups off the table and handed her one.

"Cheers." Hope raised hers in a mock toast then downed it quickly. "That felt so weird going down."

"But it's the perfect way to make cheap booze drinkable." At Hope's raised eyebrow, he explained, "There's no way in hell I'm spending my money on good liquor for kids who only drink to get drunk. I don't even keep any in the house because knowing Landon, when they run out of their stuff, he'll trying tearing my room apart to find more if he thinks I've got any in there."

"Smart man. Kids wouldn't appreciate the joy of sipping on a good bourbon after a long day. Hell, the smoothness of it would mean they'd finished the bottle without realizing they just finished off $100 of alcohol, at least."

"Exactly, especially when one of them is my brother who, managed to piss me off yesterday."

"What'd he do?"

"He was just acting like a dick when he found out I was talking to a pretty girl.

Hope downed two more shots, one right after the other.

"Why would he act like that?"

"Because I don't date much, nor do I text girls at all hours of the night while smiling like a fool."

"You smile when you text me?" Hope bit her lower lip, but couldn't hide the fact that she was grinning.

"I do." He caught one of her curls and twirled it around one long finger. "How could I not?"

"Where is he, so I can avoid him? I'm not interested in meeting people who might piss me off too when I'm not exactly sober."

"He's in the basement with his best friend. Rafael Waithe."

"Raf. You mentioned him once and I'm good with names."

"Yeah, and I haven't seen Raf's girlfriend in a while so she's probably with them."

Hope took another shot and Ryan raised an eyebrow at her. "If I'm going to be spending time around this many people, I'd better have something a little stronger than soda in my system."

"And that's is why I hit the bottle early. I'm not a fan of being around this many out of control people when I'm sober."

Hope downed five more shots in quick succession before her werewolf side could no longer keep up with the alcohol in her system and she started to feel buzzed.

"Keep drinking them like that and you'll end up drunker than I am."

"And that's a bad thing how?" Hope giggled. "Because damn, I feel good right now." Whenever she drank before, it was to forget, to cope, not because she wanted to feel good and never with anyone else.

Ryan grinned and then they did another shot together.

"Have you ever played beer pong?" Ryan asked.

"I've never had a jello shot. What makes you think I've ever played beer pong?"

"Then, allow me to introduce you to the filthiest clean drinking game out there."

"Lead the way."

Ryan guided Hope over to a table set up with two triangles of red cups on each end.

"Now you wanna get this ball," he held up a ping pong ball up, "into one of those cups. If you sink a ball, the other team drinks the cup. Bounced shots can be swatted and if a bounced shot sinks, however many bounces the ball gets, that's how many cups you can remove."

"This is so weird."

"I'll help you, if you want." He moved so that he was behind her and he guided her over to the table.

"We got ourselves a newbie!" a guy on the other side of the table shouted and the boy standing beside him started laughing.

A crowd gathered around them and Hope fought back a groan. Did they have to do that?

"Newbie goes first!" someone shouted and everyone else agreed with him.

"They're all staring."

"Ignore them," Ryan murmured as he ran his fingers down her arm so he could catch her hand. "Now, you take the ball like this."

Hope's heartbeat picked up as his long fingers guided hers around the ball and his breath stirred her hair. God, he smelled amazing. Cologne and something uniquely him. Her intoxicated brain couldn't figure out if he was human or not, but that didn't matter. He smelled good and he was holding her and to her less than sober mind, that was all that mattered.

Wait, he was trying to show her something. She needed to pay attention. Didn't she?

"And throw it into one of the cups."

As he guided her into throwing, Hope gave a little flick of her wrist as she released the ball. The ball bounced twice on the table and one of the guys on the other side tried to bat it away, but it sank into a cup.

"Nice one," Ryan cheered

"Beginner's luck!" one of the guys across the table shouted.

The other team took their turn, but Hope wasn't feeling up to playing fair for that comment. So, as the ball sailed towards the cup, Hope flicked her fingers and instead of going into the beer, the ball spun around the rim before falling onto the table.

"Oooh, tough break, man."

Hope could feel Ryan laughing against her back.

"Okay, Clarke, you're up."

"Here's _hoping_ your luck rubbed off on me."

"You're pushing it, Ryan." Hope poked him and licked her lower lip as she smiled up at him. "Because that was bad."

"But you're smiling and _that_ was the point. To make the pretty girl with the sad eyes smile." He traced his fingertip down her nose.

"Take the shot, Clarke!" a guy from across the table shouted, breaking the moment.

Ryan took a simple shot and landed it, then came around to stand behind Hope once more.

When it was her turn again, he wrapped his arms around her and held her against him as she prepared to take her shot. Hope didn't try to bounce it this time because it was all she could do to focus on what she was doing with him holding her the way he was.

"Some newbie," a guy in the crowd muttered, annoyed. "I was hoping for something funny to happen."

"You're telling me!" The next guy up picked up the ball.

He tried to make a bounce shot, but Hope automatically flicked it out of the way before it could land in a cup.

"Damn it!"

"She might be a newbie to the game, but I'd say she's a natural." Ryan winked at her.

When the game was over, Hope made a mock bow to their opponents and Ryan started laughing again.

"Come on. Those shots are wearing off."

After three more jello shots, Hope wrapped her hands around Ryan's arm, needing him close. Her entire body ached for his touch, but she didn't know how to ask him to do so without possibly pushing him before he was ready.

Nearby, she saw a pair of girls dancing and kissing, and suddenly, she felt brave. If tonight was her one opportunity to be a normal young woman daring to take a chance on getting closer to a hot guy, she'd take it.

"Dance with me." Someone put on a slower song and so she thought it might be the perfect song to learn to dance to.

Ryan studied her face as though searching for something.

"Please."

Brow furrowing, he trailed his long fingers down her arm and pulled her away from the drink table, then placed his hands on her hips. With the gentlest pressure, he guided her so that they were moving to the beat.

"You're a strange girl, Hope Marshall," he murmured.

"How?"

"You just are. And I like that about you. Because just when I think I've got you figured out, you do something to surprise me and I've got to figure you out all over again."

She wanted to warn him away from her, but the warmth in his eyes and the feel of his hands on her body stilled her tongue and she allowed herself to keep pretending. Tonight was about her letting go, for once in her life, and just being.

The song changed and the somber spell his words had woven over them was broken, but the beat had an element to it that made Ryan spin her around so that her back was pressed against his front.

"If you don't want this, just say the word and we'll do something else," he breathed against her temple.

"I want this."

That was all it took for him to guide her so that she was grinding against him in a way that if they were naked would have been totally obscene. As they moved together, Hope's breath caught in her throat. Maybe it was true about hands indicating other things about the male anatomy because what she felt pressed against her was by no means small!

Warmth pooled in her lower belly and she decided then and there that if he wanted this too, who was she to keep it from happening?

Turning in his arms, she brought her hand up so that she was cradling the back of his neck. Standing on tiptoe, she pressed her lips to his. For a few moments, he kissed her, encouraging her to move her mouth just so, as if he knew she'd never kissed anyone before and he was her willing teacher.

"Hope," Ryan whispered against her lips, "you wanna take this upstairs?"

"Only if that's the way to your bedroom."

Ryan linked their fingers and guided her towards the stairs. Down the hall, he paused next to a closed door.

"Are you sure about this?" Ryan asked, running his thumb across her lower lip.

"I want this. I want you."Going up on tiptoe, Hope kissed his lower lip.

Ryan opened the door and Hope followed him inside.


	5. Chapter 5

Once the door was closed behind them, Ryan cupped her cheek and kissed her softly.

"If you need me to stop, just tell me and I will, no matter how far into it we are."

Stepping closer to him, Hope placed her hand over his heart and whispered, "I know what I want."

"Say it."

"I want this. I want you."

This time, when Ryan kissed her, he brushed his tongue against her lips to encourage her to open her mouth to him. Slowly, tentatively, she let him deepen the kiss. Instead of taking full advantage of her acquiesce to his request for entrance, and completely dominating her like she'd seen in the movies, he brushed his tongue lightly against her, softly coaxing her to mimic his movements. Hesitantly, she caressed his tongue with hers and oh, god, since when did kissing feel like that?

Her body seemed to respond without conscious thought as she dug her fingers into Ryan's hair, desperate for as much of him as she could get.

When he caught her lower lip between his teeth and lightly tugged on it, Hope couldn't stop the whimper it drew from somewhere deep within.

Taking that as encouragement, he used one arm to lift her as he slid his other hand down her thigh so he could wrap it around his waist and Hope brought her other leg up. Once he had a firm grip on her, he carried her over to the bed and tipped her back onto it.

Hope looked up at him from where he stood between her parted thighs, an expression akin to awe on his face as he stared down at her.

"What?" Hope caught her cheek between her teeth.

"You're so beautiful." Leaning down, he caught her lips in another kiss as he knelt on the bed.

With more grace than she was expecting, considering how intoxicated he was, he maneuvered them both so that her head was on the pillow and he was hovering over her. Hope gripped his t-shirt and together, they pulled it over his head.

Throwing the shirt somewhere off the side of the bed, Hope flipped them over so that she was straddling his thighs. With him pinned beneath her, she could get a good look at his bare torso. Slowly, she traced her fingertips over his abdominal muscles, then up to his chest.

"Like what you see?"

Even though his words sounded arrogant, the vulnerability in his eyes had her kissing him softly on the lips.

"Very much so," she breathed.

Keeping his gaze on hers, Ryan started tugging at the zipper on her dress and Hope drew a deep breath. She wasn't wearing a bra, so if he took the dress off, she'd be wearing nothing but her panties and boots.

"Are you okay?" He braced himself on one elbow and cupped her cheek with his free hand. "If you don't want this, we can stop."

"No, it's just, I've um, I've never been naked with anyone before, so I got a little nervous."

"Boots first then, if that's alright with you."

At Hope's nod, he flipped them over and started tugging one off.

After tossing the boot onto the floor, Ryan placed a soft kiss to her calf, then to her knee. When he reached her thigh, he caught her eye and placed an opened mouthed kiss against it and Hope's hips jerked involuntarily as heat flooded her core. Smirking, he repeated the process with her other boot, though he pulled her skirt up high enough that she could feel his breath through the lace of her panties before he kissed her and Hope found herself arching towards him.

"Oh," she gasped.

"You liked that?" he asked as he braced himself above her.

This time, Hope was the one reaching for the zipper on her dress and he peeled it from her slowly, taking his time to reveal her body. She would have complained, except he took it upon himself to explore her skin with his lips.

"Ryan." She didn't recognize her own voice, breathy and soft, somewhere between a sigh and a moan.

All too soon, yet not soon enough, he had her dress off and on the floor, then his mouth found her breasts and _oh god_! He suckled one pebbling nipple as he twisted the other between his long fingers and Hope caught the back of his head in an effort to keep him where he was.

When he released the nipple, he blew on it softly, the chill of the air against her skin heightening the ache between her legs and she rubbed her thighs together, trying to create at least a little of the friction she craved.

"Eager, aren't we?" he chuckled, then caught her other nipple between his teeth and he tugged on it gently.

"Ryan. Please."

"Please what?"

With a knowing look in his dark eyes, he dragged two knuckles across the front of her panties.

"Damn." It was his turn to groan and he unbuckled his pants.

Using her foot, she helped shove the denim down his legs, then he kicked them off over the side of the bed, and good Lord the man wasn't wearing anything underneath!

Hope bit her lower lip as she took in his nude form. Were people supposed to be this perfect? Because if so, she was woefully inadequate.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his brows furrowing in concern.

"You're um, how will you fit?"

"Relax, sweetheart. By the time we get to that point, you'll be more than ready for it." He kissed her lightly on the lips.

Wasn't she ready for it now? She was so wet and aching to be filled. What more could he possibly want to do with her?

With a wicked look in his eyes, he slid her panties down her legs, then spread her thighs.

Before she could think to be nervous about his seeing her so fully exposed, he kissed her and oh, if that little bit of friction didn't feel so good! Taking her soft whine as permission to continue, he drew his tongue up the full length of her.

"Damn, Hope, you taste so good." His tongue darted out to taste her again, teasing her softly, flicking against her with just enough pressure to make her needy with want.

"Ryan, please."

"Your wish is my command."

Drawing her thigh over his shoulder, he buried his face between her folds, alternating between suckling that bundle of nerves to send shock waves of pleasure through her body, or using his tongue to make love to her.

Each stroke of his tongue, every brush of his lips against her made her hips jerk and she dug her fingers into his hair, desperate for something to hold onto.

As a coil in her lower belly tightened, he plunged two fingers into her, stroking some place inside her that she didn't know could bring her pleasure, and that was all it took for her to buck against his face in earnest, writhing and moaning incoherently.

It didn't matter that there were people in the house who might be able to hear her. Someone could have barged in and seen then like this and she wouldn't have cared. All that mattered was Ryan and the pleasure he brought her.

When he added a third finger, Hope's back bowed and her lips parted, but no sound came out as the coil snapped. Instead of stopping what he was doing, Ryan continued to pleasure her through the cresting wave crashing over her, prolonging it almost to the point of pain, before he finally lifted his head.

For a moment, she wasn't so sure she needed to take him inside her, her body replete in the rapture she'd just experienced, but the sight of his lips wet with her arousal and his hair a mess from her running her fingers through it had her aching to take him fully, to know what it felt like to be possessed by him.

Crawling up her body, he brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her softly, the taste of her on his tongue, musky with a strange sort of spice, caused her to draw her leg up his side, encouraging his erection closer to where she needed him.

"If you need me to stop at any time, just say the word and I'll stop," he promised. "I don't care if I'm two seconds from climaxing, I'll stop.'

Brushing her fingertips against his lower lip, Hope looked up at him and whispered, "Don't stop."

After positioning himself, he looked down at her as he slowly entered her. To her surprise, there was no pain, only a delicious sense of fullness and Hope gasped. Slowly, he withdrew almost completely, before thrusting into her again. Hooking her leg over his elbow to allow himself to adjust the angle of his thrusts, then repeated the movement and this time her back bowed.

"Goddamn, Hope," he growled as he increased the pace. "Goddamn it! So damn good."

Hope's nails found purchase on his back and she rocked beneath him as every movement of their bodies against each other drew another whimper from her lips.

"That's it, sweetheart. Oh, goddamn it!"

Throwing his head back, Ryan started moving in earnest now, his lips parting with his own pleasure, then he pressed his face against her neck, his moans muffled as he kissed her pulse point, then behind her ear.

"Oh, sweetheart," he whispered, his breath hot against her ear. "You feel amazing, so tight."

For a long moment, there was nothing, except the sound of skin against skin and their moans. God, but she didn't want this to end, because when it did, she'd have to go back to the real world and that meant no Ryan Clarke with his dark eyes and perfect mouth. Going back to nothing after knowing how it felt to have every inch of her skin touched and caressed, of knowing that there was so much more to life than what she was being given.

"Hope."

She blinked and found him looking down at her as he continued to move within her.

"Don't think," he breathed. "Focus on me, on us, on this. Because right now, that's all that matters. Just you and me and the way our bodies feel."

Hope kissed him softly, allowing the feel of him inside her and the caress of his lips against hers bring her back into the moment. A whimper tore its way free from her lips and she arched beneath him, her breasts pressed against his chest and the brush of his skin against her sensitive nipples turned the whimper into a moan.

"That's it, sweetheart." He grit his teeth as he shifted the angle of his thrust in an effort to take as much of her as he could. "Be in this with me, because you feel so damn good."

Reaching between them, he pressed his thumb against her and that was all it took for her world to shrink until the only thing that mattered was the ecstasy he brought her. Some part of her was vaguely aware of his rhythm becoming erratic, and then she felt him spill inside her.

As she came down from her high, Ryan rolled onto his side, taking her with him.

"Damn it." He sat up.

"What?"

"I forgot a condom."

"I'm clean, if that's what you're worried about." Hope tugged him back down beside her. She'd worry about a morning after spell later. Right now, she just wanted to sleep with his arms around her.

"And since I'm sterile, I guess we're good," he attempted to joke, but the tightness in his voice gave away how much it hurt him.

Hope wanted to say something to try to ease his distress. After the pleasure he'd just brought her, he didn't need to feel sad and then an inspiration hit her.

"Be with me in this moment. Don't think about anything else. Just this. You and me."

"But you can't stay." He curled around her, wrapping his arms around her as though he could keep her there if he held her like this. "You'll soon be gone and I'll still be here."

"I can stay the night and you've got my number, so I won't completely gone."

Hope linked their fingers and pressed a kiss to the back of his hand, hatred for the people who'd broken him flashing white hot through her.

Maybe one day, she could find her way back to him and prove that he wasn't worthless. Without meaning to, he'd saved her and when she got the chance, if he wasn't opposed to the supernatural, she'd save him too.

Before she could think about her plan too much, she succumbed to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

With morning came reality. Even with Ryan's soft breathing behind her and the nearly overwhelming longing to stay, it was time to get back to the real world.

The Hollows whispers she'd heard in her dreams still echoed in her ears, carrying over from her nightmare. Between that and Burr, who would be furious when he found out she sent him on a wild goose chase, especially if he found out why, she couldn't stay. Not without putting innocent people in harms way.

Even with Ryan's soft breathing behind her and the nearly overwhelming longing to stay, it was time to get back to the real world. But she didn't want to leave. For the first time since she'd been thrown into the darkness, she felt whole, accepted, cared about. Even that place in her heart that never seemed to stop aching was soothed for the moment.

Ryan seemed to sense her stirring because he kissed her shoulder as he drew his hand up her belly to cup her breast so he could twist her nipple lightly between his thumb and forefinger. Her body came alive beneath his touch and heat flared in her core. God, she needed him.

"Good morning." Hope sighed, arching into his touch.

He brushed his cheek against her shoulder and pressed a soft kiss to her skin.

"That feels nice."

"It'll feel even better in a second."

With that, he thrust his hips, taking her, and Hope sighed at the sweet relief of being filled. Bringing his hand from her breast, he slid his fingers between her legs, stroking her, and Hope bit her lip to try to stifle the wail as she rocked against him.

"Harder, Ryan, please."

Shifting them so that she was on her stomach, he drove into her as hard as he could and Hope keened into the pillow in response.

"Oh, no you don't." Wrapping her hair around his hand, he tugged just enough so that she had to lift her head. "If you're gonna scream, I wanna hear you."

The combination of him pulling on her hair while driving into her from behind had Hope gripping the sheets as hard as she dared without tearing them. God, but this man was going to ruin her for the rest of her life if she didn't come back to him.

"I wanna make your throat go raw from screaming," Ryan growled.

He pinched her lightly between her legs and Hope couldn't stop the ragged whimper that tore from her throat if she tried.

"God, sweetheart. That's it. Let me hear you," he groaned against as he kissed a trail across her back from shoulder blade to shoulder blade.

As he continued to move within her, the coil tightened and Hope no longer cared who might overhear them. All that mattered was Ryan and the pleasure he brought her. Every time he plunged into her, it ripped another moan from her and when he withdrew, she whimpered with her need to have the emptiness within her filled.

All too soon, that tightening coil in her belly snapped and she cried out something that may very well have been his name, her entire body shuddering beneath him. Her climax triggered his and Ryan swore as he found his own release.

For a long moment, they lay together, bodies still joined, as they caught their breath.

"You have to go now, don't you?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he withdrew from her.

"Yeah." She twisted in his arms so that she could face him and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"You'll be leaving town soon, too, once you've done whatever it is you came here to do." He studied her face, his dark eyes sad and serious.

"The longer I put off dealing with things, the worse it's going to be. So, I'm going to finish this hunt and get the clown off my case. Then, if you're interested, I'll see what I can do about coming back and we'll go from there."

"What if you find something out about me that makes you want to leave me?"

"Considering I've got my own secrets that would scare the crap out of most people, I've got no business running from someone else's." Hope ran her fingertips along his stubble covered jaw.

"If you come back, we'll talk."

"_When_ I come back."

"You're sure you'll come back?"

"It'd take more than you being afraid I'll leave and the assholes I work for to keep me from coming back."

Ryan's lips curled up just a little and he said, "I know it might sound like I'm just saying this, but I've honestly never felt so connected to another person before."

"I know the feeling." Hope laid her head on his upper arm and pressed her forehead against his neck. "Can we just stay here, like this, forever?"

"I wouldn't mind that at all, but I think we might have to leave the bed at some point," he chuckled as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I don't want to." She draped her leg over his side as if to prove that she wanted to stay where she was.

"I wouldn't mind if we could spend most of our time like this though."

Downstairs, someone turned on the TV and just like that, the moment was broken.

With a glance at the clock on his nightstand, she threw off the covers.

"It really is time to get back to the real world, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah. I have to get going. I wouldn't put it past that guy to have installed some sort of tracking device on my phone and come barging in any second."

"Sounds like a real winner."

"Oh, he's the _best_." Hope climbed out of the bed.

"Bathroom's through that door if you want to clean up."

"Thanks."

In the bathroom, Hope dampened a cloth and reluctantly started cleaning herself up. Wiping away the evidence that someone wanted her, even if it was just for a night, it twisted something inside her and she blinked back tears.

Once she was as she was going to get without taking a shower, Hope returned to the bedroom and started putting her clothes back on.

"Wait." Ryan stood up, and in her bare feet, she was acutely aware of just how much taller than her he was. "In case I never see you again, I want you to know that the time I've spent with you has been the happiest I can ever remember being, so thank you for sharing your time with me."

She studied his face for a long moment. Why did she get the feeling he was trying to say something else? What was he afraid of? Did he think he know something about her life? Or was he just being observant and figuring some things out because she didn't have practice at lying to people she let herself get close to?

Instead of asking what was going through his head, she stood on tiptoe as she tugged his head down to hers so she could press a quick kiss to his lips.

"Be safe out there." He cupped her cheek and brushed his thumb beneath her eye.

"As safe as I can be." Hope kissed the palm of his hand.

Unable to look away, she took one step back and then another before she finally found herself able to turn and leave the room.

Why did it hurt so much to walk away? She barely knew the guy and one night stands happened all the time. Hell, she was proof of that! And yet, walking away from the only person who seemed to understand her, it cut far deeper than she had been anticipating.

With a sharp inhale, she pushed her feelings down deep into the vault where everything else unpleasant that she didn't know how to deal with went. Maybe later, when she had a chance to breathe, she would try to process it. But at the moment, she couldn't let herself lose focus on the coming battle.

A boy with dark skin and closely cropped hair raised an eyebrow from his place sprawled across the couch when he saw her and he tapped the arm of a pretty girl sitting on the floor in front of him. The girl looked at her.

"Is that the girl Ryan hooked up with?" the girl whispered.

"I think so."

"He's right. She is pretty."

Then both of them turned their attention back to the TV.

"You just had to rub it in, didn't you?"

Hope glanced over at the speaker to find a young woman in skin tight jeans and a tank top staring at her, hate blazing from her gray eyes.

"What do you mean?"

The girl could have passed for twenty, but something about the way she held herself told Hope she was at least a few years younger than that. Was this the girl that Ryan told her about? Lucy, she thought her name might be. If so, this girl was more than obsessed to corner a woman she didn't even know over him.

"Last night, you were all over him and then this morning, you two screwed when you knew those who stayed over would be waking up, so we'd have to hear you. Like you screaming the house down last night wasn't enough."

Channeling all the confusion and sadness that leaving Ryan evoked, Hope pulled together a convincingly disdainful mask as she looked the girl up and down, one brow raised.

With a dismissive snort, Hope said, "I've got nothing to say to children who don't know when to leave a man alone or who think it's any of their business who a woman sleeps with."

"You think I'm a child."

"If you feel like talking to me the way you are is appropriate, yes, you are very childish."

"Do you have any idea what I can do to you? To your reputation? Does that sound like something a child could do?"

Lucy folded her arms across her chest and attempted to stare Hope down, but the werewolf wouldn't be cowed and Lucy faltered, though she did everything she could to hide that Hope's indifference to her threats frightened her.

"You can do nothing to me that wouldn't help me."

"You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"You're just a child with a big mouth and a vicious mind. It doesn't take much imagination to figure out what you might try to do to 'ruin' me."

"You try making anything of yourself in this town with people thinking you're a whore."

"Slut shaming women is so last century." Hope waved away Lucy's threat as she gave the girl her best fake smile.

Leaving a fuming Lucy behind her, Hope exited the house.

What did she have to worry about when she came back for Ryan? Sex was viewed differently in the supernatural world, accepted as being a part of life. No one batted an eyelash when people had sex, because most in the supernatural world ran hot. So anything this girl might spread around would just make her seem normal, since Hope had no intention of trying to blend into the human world.

She would introduce Ryan to the supernatural, then maybe take him to New Orleans, so she could try to figure out how to get her family back. Once they were settled, she would offer him the choice to become a part of it by her side, whether as a vampire himself, or simply as someone in the know.

Shaking her head to dislodge her unnecessary thoughts, Hope turned her attention to the reason she'd come to this part of the world in the first place. Maybe later, she could dream of a life with him. But for now, she had to get through the next few days.

Game face firmly in place, Hope took off running as fast as she could. If she worked fast, the Hollow could be neutralized before midnight. But only if she hurried.


	7. Chapter 7

As the sun set, Hope crouched down, bracing her elbow on her knee as she waited. Burr stood in the shadows not far away.

"You sure she'll be here?"

"She'll come. She won't have a choice. Now, be quiet, I have to focus."

The Hollow was on her way, she could feel it, but all Hope wanted to do was think about Ryan.

Ryan with his soft eyes and shy smile, the man who made her feel more than she'd felt in so long, who worked his way passed her defenses by just being kind.

There'd been no pretenses to him when he'd shown her attention. God knew she'd experienced enough of that to be able to pick it up in an instant. Instead, he seemed to genuinely enjoy being with her, in every way, both as a friend and as a lover.

She shook her head in an effort to focus. If she didn't win this fight, there would be no going back to Ryan for her. She promised him she'd come back to him and she was a woman of her word, so she had to win.

As she exhaled, her breath turned into a cloud with the sudden cold and the chill snapped her fully into fight mode. This was a battle that she wish she'd been able to win a decade ago and now, it was time to right that wrong.

"I know you're here, little one." The beautiful, dark haired woman stepped out of the shadows. "Come, child. Show yourself. Let me get to know you. Curious that I find you familiar, but I have no idea how because I know we've never met before."

Hope remained silent. If only the Hollow knew the truth about who she was talking to. But it was a good thing she didn't, because it gave Hope the upper hand. Not knowing that Hope was actually connected by blood meant that Hope could turn herself into a weapon.

_Just a little further. Come on, you wicked witch. Just a bit more._

Finally, the Hollow came to a stop, right where Hope needed her to be and the tribrid got to her feet quickly. It was time. With a shouted spell, the Hollow found herself surrounded by three interlocking triangles of fire.

"You stupid girl!" The Hollow looked around, then she started her own spell when she laid eyes on Hope.

Hope felt herself almost going to her knees, but she refused to bow. This woman wasn't going to take her down. It was because of her that Hope had been discovered as being not one of the protected species and so it was her fault that Hope had been erased.

"We have to help her!" a woman screamed, tugging on the arm of another woman.

"No! Leave her to me!" the Hollow commanded. "This little bitch is going to learn what it means to mess with me!"

Her supporters fell back reluctantly, because unlike the Hollow, most of them could see that Hope was more than a match for the older witch. But the Hollow was too arrogant to accept that someone might be stronger than she was, that she might lose.

Hope tilted her head with a smirk as she wiped the blood that dripped from her nose and continued chanting. Calling on every witch on both sides of her family to help her and on her full heritage, Hope drew on their power and the Hollow stumbled under the force of the magic she was assaulted with.

With a scream, the Hollow dug down deep, attempting to overpower Hope. But Hope's unique bloodline meant that the very human witch wasn't enough to measure up to the power flowing through Hope's veins, even with all the Hollows spells in place.

Hope bared her teeth as she pulled on the last bit of her power, using her connection to the other witch, turning their blood connection into an asset, and snarled. She was the daughter of Niklaus Mikaelson, the Original Hybrid King of New Orleans, and Hayley Marshall-Kenner, the Hybrd Queen of the Crescent Wolves. No power crazed witch would take her down with Hope sharing their bloodline.

Finally, the Hollow buckled, her eyes rolling into the back of her head, and her supporters stared at the pair, horror etched across their faces.

Hope wasn't finished though. After cutting her wrist, Hope continued to chant as she encouraged the blood to flow, binding the witch's power so much so that there was no way for the woman to do anything to free herself. The Hollow might have found a way to use her descendants' blood against them, but she didn't know Hope was her descendant, so she could use that against her.

Once the Hollow was completely at her mercy, Hope proceeded to create a prison inspired by her own experience with Malivore within the Hollow's mind with only one escape. To surrender to true death, to pass on, away from the ancestral plane, no continued existence after her heart stopped, that was this witch's only way out.

Hope wondered how long it would take for the Hollow to give up. Wandering alone in the darkness, no magic, no connection to anything, not even her own body, it would break anyone, even someone as unfeeling as the Hollow.

"Try to rescue her and you'll find yourself lost in an endless void inside your own mind with only the faintest memory that once there was more," Hope warned.

"You think you can just take her down like that without repercussions?" one man demanded.

"I just did."

"She'll find a way out and come for you, then you'll regret it."

"She can't." Hope raised an eyebrow at them. She'd essentially hogtied her magic, so any struggle against the bindings would strangle her even more.

"She's the most powerful being alive!"

"Well, now your god is dead. So, if any of you want to try me, go right ahead." Hope held her hands out and smiled widely as she allowed her eyes to flash yellow.

Burr raised his rifle and cocked it, his hands shaking for a second, then he steadied himself as he fought to hide how scared he was. Why would he have to be afraid when he had Hope on his side against them? Unless it was Hope he was afraid of, which Hope wouldn't doubt, considering she rarely used more than parlor tricks when he was around.

The witch looked from Hope with her wolf eyes to Burr, then he walked over to the Hollow and lifted her into his arms almost reverently.

"When we do find a way to set her free, we'll come for you, mark my words," he hissed before disappearing into the undergrowth.

"Best of luck trying to free her from the prison I created for her without getting trapped yourself!" Hope called after the group as they left. Then more quietly, she added, "It won't hurt my feelings any if you wind up trapped within your own minds all alone. Waste of magic, for sure, but what do I care? You'll die and the rest of us will be safe from you."

"You can do that?" Burr asked, raw fear creeping into his voice.

Hope didn't answer him as she walked towards the SUV waiting for them on the logging road several hundred yards away.

Why had she thought it was a good idea for her to bring him along? He'd just take this as more proof that she was too dangerous. This man had been pushing for her execution since he met her and now, she'd just given him more of a reason to take her down.

She wanted to text Ryan, to give him a heads up that she was in trouble and to tell him how terrified she was, but Burr was right there. If he got the idea that she was talking to someone, he'd have her phone checked and then Ryan would be discovered. And Ryan wouldn't stand a chance if an agent came after him.

She had to protect him, from everyone, even if it meant protecting him from herself.

As they drove down the road, Burr kept glancing at her from the corner of her eye and Hope kept her gaze firmly on the front window. If she looked at him, he would take it as a threat and might put a bullet through her head, before she was ready to transition into a full-fledged tribrid.

Funny how before she arrived in that town, she was considering turning, but now, she wanted to remain alive for a little while longer, at least long enough to give Ryan a chance to accept her. She had a chance for a life without dying just yet and she now wanted to explore that.

The private jet waiting on the tarmac to take them back to Georgia had Hope's heart pounding. She could just run now and Burr would never be able to find her. But she needed the things she had back at HQ, her last connections to the family who no longer knew she was one of them.

In the jet, Hope found a corner far away from Burr and she kicked off her boots before curling up on the seat.

Why couldn't she just let go of what she had from her family and be free of Triad? But if she couldn't find a way to give her family their memories back, she needed proof that she was in fact who she claimed to be, so she could convince them to at least test her claims to be a part of their family at one time. The more she looked for answers, the more likely it seemed that she would have to resort to showing up and telling them what she knew without them remembering anything.

As she considered what she needed to do, another thought crossed her mind. Was she risking a possibility of a future with Ryan by clinging to her past?

Even as she thought that, she shook her head. No. She was a Mikaelson. And family was always and forever. Romances weren't guaranteed to last, but family was there for eternity. She could always come back to Ryan, but losing the things that reminded her that at one time she was loved unconditionally, she just couldn't let that go.

The tapping of keys had her looking up to find Burr on his laptop. Knowing him, he was going straight to Veronica Greasley, because that's what he did, campaign to get rid of her.

He wasn't a Triad agent because he was trying to do the right thing by humans. He was a part of the organization because he was a weak, pathetic asshole who wanted to feel like he had power over people who could tear him apart without even trying. It rankled him that Hope was a part of the team, the one they trusted to handle situations when the humans had reached their limits. And his fear and hatred for anything not human made him loath her.

Every so often, he would look at her and his heart would start pounding harder and Hope knew for certain. They were definitely talking about what to do with her, Hope realized. Heart breaking, she realized she had one option. To stay alive, to protect anyone she met, she would have to erase herself from human memory. And that taking herself away from Ryan.

She alone would remember the night she spent in his arms and the connection they shared. He wouldn't remember his lips against her skin, their bodies moving together, their conversations. He wouldn't remember that he wanted her to stay, that to her, he wasn't broken, and that he was worth coming back for.

But she steeled herself with the knowledge that if things were meant to be, when she returned to him, they would work out. And when the time was right, when she finally confessed what she was and what she could do, she would give him back his memories.


	8. Chapter 8

Hope went to her room and crashed as soon as they got back to base and when she woke up the next morning, the first thing she did was head to the cafeteria. People stared at her as she passed and she knew, something was up and everyone knew about it.

As she walked, she texted Ryan on the sly.

_Are you okay? _Ryan asked.

_No. Something's going on. I'm afraid._

_Get out._

_I'm trying. But the only way out means doing something I don't want to do._

_Whatever you have to do, do it. Just get out._

Just then, she passed Veronica's office and heard the woman talking to someone in a low tone, so she paused.

So she could listen in without getting caught, Hope cast an invisibility spell and stepped closer to the door so she didn't miss a word. It was rare that the woman was so careless as to leave her door open, especially when she sounded so serious and Hope knew she'd better listen in, especially with Burr now actively campaigning against her.

Her phone buzzed repeatedly, but she didn't dare pull out her phone and distract herself.

"I understand your concern."

"You should have seen her though," Burr replied. "I've never seen anyone with that sort of power in all the missions I've been on. She made an entire group of powerful witches back down!"

Veronica remained silent for a long moment before she said, "I see where you're coming from. Her containing that much power is concerning."

"If she's that powerful, she can and will turn on us. You can't trust someone with magic if they can do what she did. Who knows whether or not she's done something to us already and she's manipulating us even now?"

"Very well. I'll make up a mission and send her out on it alone. With any luck, she'll be arrogant enough to assume it's because she's just that good. If she happens to disappear, that's just one of the risks of this job."

"Thank you, ma'am."

The triumph in his voice had her stomach turning and Hope ran down the hall, food forgotten. It was time to save herself and disappear.

She had the ingredients and spell all ready to go, in her bedroom, so all she had to do was set it out and get to work.

Fortunately, not many people had strong memories of her, so the spell wouldn't take the sort of power it would take just a little push. Soon, the only ones who would know that Hope Marshall ever existed were the supernatural.

Once she was ready to cast the spell, with tears streaming down her face, she sent a final text to Ryan.

_Goodbye._

Her phone buzzed again and again, but Hope ignored it and, with a flick of her fingers, she destroyed the device. When she was done, she couldn't leave any proof that she ever existed, and that included a phone that could be tracked and texts discovered.

Her heart twisted with the thought about how worried he would be right now. But it would be fine. In just a few minutes, Ryan would probably assume he'd been drunk texting someone, because he wouldn't remember anything about her.

Clenching her jaw, she pulled out her supplies and set to work. When it was safe, she could find Ryan again and try to sort things out, but only when it was safe.

Heart pounding, she set out the last candle and started chanting. As her power flowed, her nose started bleeding. Going up against the Hollow had taken more out of her than she'd thought, but she did have enough strength to complete what she needed to do to disappear.

With another spell, she removed her image from all security footage from the facility and then sent a text to maintenance that this room needed to be cleaned. One final spell to remove any and all mention of her from the records later and finally, there was no proof that she'd ever even stepped foot in the building.

After that, she packed up anything that might lead back to her, anything magical related, so they wouldn't start looking for a witch that might have been in their ranks at all. Once she was packed, she had a duffle bag of clothing and a backpack containing spell supplies, a grimore, and her family keepsakes that she'd stolen, including pictures of her with her family.

Sitting back on her heels, she considered her next step carefully, then realized she needed one more bag, so she grabbed another duffle, which she left empty

Hope looked around the room, making sure she'd left nothing behind, then made herself invisible once more, and headed out the door.

On her way to the gate, she encountered Burr and a small contingent of people. Hope had to press herself flat against the wall to keep from getting bumped in to and that meant she had to listen to their conversation as they passed.

"I'm forgetting something," Burr muttered, frustrated. "What am I forgetting?"

"Sir?" a woman next to him asked.

Hope wasn't sure who she was but thought she might have worked with her once before.

"I just got this feeling like I'm forgetting something."

"If it's important enough, I'm sure it will come to you. Now what's the mission, sir?"

"Mission?"

"We were on the way to the armory, weren't we? That'd mean we'd have a mission."

"I'll have to double check with Mrs. G, because I don't know."

_Or not._ Hope smirked and left Burr scratching his head as to what mission he'd forgotten.

It took her two hours by foot to reach an ATM attached to a large enough bank for her to get what she wanted. Shorting out all the cameras in the area, she walked up to the ATM and then withdrew as much of Triad's money as she could get, in Burr's name, of course. He was the perfect fall guy for this.

He might not remember her,

Once she emptied out that ATM, she went to another, and then a third. Finally, her last duffle bag was filled to bursting. Taking out several twenties from the bag, Hope slid them into her pocket and started walking.

Her stomach growled, reminding her that she forgot to eat earlier, so she found a fast food joint.

Since they weren't busy, Hope got her order much more quickly than she thought she might. When her number was called, she grabbed the bag off the counter and headed back out the door quickly.

Now, it was time to find a bus station. Washington, here she came. Though she'd have to take a round about way to get there, because that money going missing wouldn't go unnoticed, and Burr would fight back So taking a direct route to where she wanted to go would risk inviting trouble.

"Where to?" the ticket agent asked.

"Dallas, Texas."

"How many bags?"

"Three, two in the hold, one carry on."

"That'll cost extra."

"I'm aware."

The ticket agent gave her the price and Hope handed over the money.

Once she had her ticket, Hope went to the waiting room and collapsed into a chair, bracing her hands on her knees, with her head hanging. She wanted to breathe, to relax, but she wouldn't be able to, not until Georgia was behind her.

"You look beat." A kindly faced old woman sat down beside her. She looked at the bags at Hope's feet, then back at her face. "You running from something?"

"More like running towards something."

"I like that description. So what are you running towards?" The woman asked, folding her hands across her lap, her eyes alight with curiosity.

"A new life."

"Oh?"

"For the first time in my existence, I'm doing what's best for me, instead of what's other people demand that I do for them to improve their own self-interests. There might even a guy at the end of this trip, if he'll still have me." Hope didn't try fighting the smile that crossed her lips at the thought of Ryan.

"But you ain't running away from anyone?" she asked, suddenly worried.

"I leave nothing behind that I regret leaving. If they wanted me to stay, they would have been better people." They also wouldn't have been plotting her dead, forcing her to do what she did to make sure no human came looking for her, ever.

"They might get people to you take back if you're a runaway."

"I'm an adult, so I can walk away if someone's not treating me right. It's my right to be missing if I want to be." Though eighteen was young, with everything she'd been through, she was more than capable of making decisions that would keep her safe.

The woman nodded, accepting that Hope was old enough to be on her own, even though she looked young.

"I'm through staying in a place where I'm not appreciated and they make demands of me without caring about what I need, even though their demands take far more out of me than I ask of them."

"Smart girl. Here's hoping this new man knows how to treat you, because no one needs to go through whatever you went through that put such sadness in your eyes."

"Yes, ma'am. I think he does."

"Why do you think this fellow of yours might not take you back?"

"Because of the way I left him. I chose the life I should have left behind a long time ago over him and I know it hurt him when I did that."

"Why did you?"

Hope sighed as she pondered the woman's question, then said, "Because I was afraid of change. That other life is what I knew, so I went back to it, even though I knew it was hurting me."

"If he's a good man, he'll understand. You don't just leave when you're given a way out. You gotta fight those inner demons to really get yourself into a position to get free," she said with a sympathetic pat on Hope's knee."

The bus to Dallas was called and Hope stood up.

"Best of luck on your new life, dear."

"Thank you for the talk." Hope nodded once, then slung her bags over her shoulders.

"You seem to have a good head on your shoulders. I think you'll be fine.

Inclining her head and with a final smile, Hope headed out with the other passengers to board the bus.

The driver didn't say anything when Hope elected to put her backpack into the bag storage area instead of the duffle filled with money. He just took the bags from her and then tossed them in with all the others.

A woman behind her raised an eyebrow at Hope's choice, but Hope stared her down until she dropped her gaze. What business was it of this stranger's what bag she decided to have as a carry on?

There was no way in hell was Hope going to risk this bag coming open in the hold and revealing her loot. That was the last thing she needed, people finding out about a bag full of money and Burr getting on her trail in an effort to prove that she was the thief rather than him.

After her things were stored away, Hope climbed onto the bus and found a seat as far away from a family with small children sitting near the front of the bus as she could get.

Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to fall into a light doze. In a few weeks, she would be with Ryan again, and maybe, just maybe, she could have a life with him. That is, if he wasn't opposed to the supernatural and he forgave her for making him forget she existed.

By the time the bus pulled out of the station, she was sound asleep, dreaming of warm brown eyes and plump lips, set in the prettiest face she'd ever seen, and gentle arms wrapping around her, holding her close.


	9. Chapter 9

After crisscrossing the country for a month, just to try to make sure she had lost anyone who might be suspicious, Hope found herself throwing up in a gas station bathroom.

After rinsing out her mouth, she braced herself on the sink. This was the third morning in a row she'd thrown up and it worried her. What the hell was wrong with her? She never threw up before, hell she'd never been sick before. So what the hell was happening to her?

"Early days of pregnancy suck, especially when you're traveling," a young woman with a little girl commented.

Hope stared at her, shocked.

"You didn't think of that, did you?" she asked, sympathetic.

"Um, no." Why would she think that? He'd told her that he couldn't father children.

"You threw up yesterday morning too. So I think it's possible." The woman gave an embarrassed laugh. "We've been on the same bus now for a while. Though you've been sleeping so much, you probably missed us."

Was it possible though? Ryan told her that he was sterile, but was he as sterile as he believed? The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Hell, her own father hadn't believed it when he was told about her because he'd been sterile for a thousand years prior to Hope's existence.

"You running from the guy?"

"Running to him, more like. He's the first person who's been kind to me in years."

"Tell you what, I'm going to buy you a test and as soon as you can, you take it."

"You don't need to do that."

"No, but you need to know and you look spooked enough that you probably won't do it yourself and will keep denying it until you're pushing, if you are pregnant."

The woman left the room and Hope leaned against the sink, heart pounding.

She'd never been so terrified in her life. When she got herself into a dangerous situation, she always knew she could find a way to survive. But if she was pregnant? She'd be responsible for a whole other person who would depend on her for everything.

The woman returned a few minutes later and handed Hope the small box.

"If you can take it now, I'd say do it. Just so you know for sure either way."

With shaking hands, Hope headed to do as the woman suggested. She nearly dropped the stick several times because her hands were shaking so badly.

This couldn't be happening. Why was she even considering this a possibility. She was smart, careful, yet one night of carelessness and she's thinking she might be pregnant? It was probably food poisoning. It had to be. There was no way she could be pregnant after sleeping with one man who, to his own knowledge, was sterile.

After taking the test, Hope exited the stall and set the stick in the sink.

"Three minutes." The woman set a timer on her phone.

To keep from bugging the woman about the time she had left, Hope tried to think about anything else.

Was there a way she should have known before this that she might be pregnant? A pregnant woman couldn't turn, but she hadn't tried turning at all in the last month, so she didn't know if she could or not. If she'd tried before now, she might have already had her answer. She hadn't felt the urge to turn at all, which was odd since she hadn't gone that long without going wolf since she triggered the curse, but she hadn't thought about it until now.

If it was positive, how was she supposed to return to Ryan carrying a baby when he wouldn't even remember her, let alone that he'd slept with her?

When the timer went off, Hope jumped, startled. But instead of finding out for sure, Hope stared at the sink where the test lay just out of sight.

She couldn't do this. If she did, it would make one way or the other true and she wasn't sure what she wanted.

"You gotta look at it, hun," the woman encouraged her with a kindly smile.

"I know. I know. You're right."

Taking a deep breath, Hope picked up the narrow stick, then stared down at it in disbelief. She was pregnant.

"You okay?" the other woman asked, her face concerned.

"I'll be fine. This just complicates things a lot."

"If he's as good a man as you think he is, he won't turn you away for being pregnant, even if it's not his."

"I just want things with him to work out and this could mess everything up."

Going to Ryan alone would be fairly simple. But now?

Tears filled her eyes and she struggled to choke back a sob. She couldn't remember the last time she cried, and yet, here she was, crying because she was facing the consequences of having sex without protection.

"Damn it," she muttered, scrubbing her face. "Damn it. Damn it. Damn it."

She didn't know how to process what she was feeling. What was she feeling? Everything was just too much. Her mind and heart felt all twisted up and she didn't know which way was up and which way was down. Nothing made sense anymore.

"Do you want to keep it? You know you don't have to go through with it if you don't want to." The other woman seemed to take her confusion as her not wanting the baby, understandably.

Hope's hands moved to her stomach. Could she terminate the pregnancy?

Even before the thought finished, Hope knew that no, she wouldn't end it. She wanted to belong to a family and since she couldn't have her family as long as they couldn't remember her, she could start another one to take away the aching loneliness she endured since the day she was taken.

"I'm gonna keep it."

"Do what's best for you, okay?" The woman patted her hand gently in an effort to comfort her. "You get settled and get a doctor."

"Yeah. Thanks."

They called for the bus over the intercom and the woman and her daughter walked towards the door, with Hope trailing slowly behind.

As the bus headed down the road towards Idaho, Hope leaned her head against the window, her hand moving to her stomach where Ryan's baby grew.

She'd gotten pregnant from a one night stand, just like her mother, though, before she'd erased human memory of herself, there had been a chance for them. Now, there still might be a chance, but the odds had just gone up against her.

_Please, please, soften him towards this baby and towards me. _She wasn't sure if any god would hear her, but on the off chance that one might take pity on her, Hope decided that it couldn't hurt to try to pray.

Maybe reconnecting with Ryan wouldn't be so hard if the connection she'd felt to him truly went both ways and survived her spell, and maybe he wouldn't mind that she was pregnant.

Even if he wanted nothing to do with her, she would have this baby and she could go to New Orleans and set up a home for the two of them. With her abilities, she could make herself useful to the supernatural community there.

No. No. she wouldn't think like that. Unless Ryan sent her away, she wouldn't think about her contingency plan. If she went to him hopeful, he'd see that she wanted to be around him and that might help her case.

Her, Ryan, and the baby. They could be happy. Yes, it would be naive to assume that there would be absolutely no problems, but they could make it work.

As she allowed herself to dream about how things might be with Ryan, Hope let in more thoughts about her baby. Was it a boy or a girl? Would it have her blue eyes? Or Ryan's brown? Was its hair going to be dark or auburn? As she allowed herself to finally think about her baby, a soft smile played around her lips and her eyes welled with tears.

Goddamn, would she cry about everything? Hope rubbed her hand across her face.

The woman from the bathroom sat down next to her.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"I've been in a bad situation for most of my life and then when I get the chance for a good life, this happens and I'm scared."

"Are you sure you want to go through with this pregnancy?"

Hope bit her lip, then said, "This'll probably be the only chance he has to have children. Hell, this baby wasn't supposed to exist due to the probability of him fathering a baby at all and I want this baby even if he doesn't."

"Just so long as you're doing this for you. Because doing it for a man is the worst thing you can do to yourself and to the kid."

"I want this baby." Hope's throat swelled and she swallowed thickly.

"Good. You take care of yourself and that baby. If he doesn't want anything to do with you, kick his ass and then make a life without him."

"Is that what you're doing?" Hope glanced across the aisle at the little girl fast asleep in her chair.

"Yeah. Don't make the mistake I did." She stood up and crossed back over to where her daughter slept.

Hope allowed the woman's words to play through her mind, then compared her fear to Ryan's kind eyes. Ryan, the man who a woman who'd been through hell trusted more than anyone else, there was no way he could be anything like the man that this woman feared. Maybe he'd done things in his past that he was ashamed of, things that a human might be terrified of, but there was no way he'd hurt people he cared about.

When she switched buses late that night, a clean cut looking young man took a seat next to her. What was it about her that suggested she wanted company? She really didn't want to deal with anyone. After traveling as long as she had, she just wanted the journey to end, not to deal with people who looked like they thought they were owed the world.

"The bus isn't full." Hope gestured to half a dozen empty benches.

"Well, I didn't want to be bored, so I decided to sit next to the prettiest girl on here."

Hope rolled her eyes and leaned her head against the window. All she wanted to do was think about the life she could have with Ryan and their baby, not talk to some kid who looked like he was selling something or other.

"You're going to ignore me? I'm just looking for some conversation here and you're being rude."

"I'm not in the mood to talk, nor did I invite you to sit here."

"Hey, I'm a nice guy."

"And I'm pregnant, which puts me into a particularly foul mood when someone's bothering me."

"You're pregnant?" The guy stared at her in disgust, then down at her ring finger. "But you're not married."

"What puritanical rock did you crawl out from under?" Hope scoffed.

"You judge me for thinking children should be raised in a traditional home?"

"I judge you for thinking you have any business offering me your opinion on my life."

"Women like you are the reason that the family structure has failed."

"More like men like you treating women like property, even going so far as to treat a woman you don't even know like you have any business interfering in her life that have made women stand up and seek their own lives. Now, find another seat."

With a final sneer, the young man left Hope alone with her thoughts.

Once she was certain she'd be left alone, Hope leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. In less than forty-eight hours she'd be within ten feet of Ryan and then, depending on his reaction to her, she'd make plans accordingly of how to make herself a part of his life, if he was willing.


	10. Chapter 10

As Hope pulled up to the front of the convenience store in her recently acquired used car, she took a deep breath to try to calm her pounding heart and still her shaking hands.

What was she going to do now? Hope slammed her head against the back of her seat and dragged her hands down her face. Why hadn't she thought through this more carefully?

What was she supposed to do? Barge into the store and say, 'Hi, you don't remember me, but we slept together and it turns out you're not as sterile as you thought, because I'm pregnant.'

No. No. She'd go in and be smart about it. She was a natural born predator, able to wait hours, days even, for her prey to come close. She could be patient and work her way back into Ryan's life. Maybe taking it slower than she did last time, since she was pregnant, but she could do this.

With another breath in an effort to calm herself, Hope climbed out of the car. The car door slamming sounded like a gunshot to her overwrought nerves and she spun around. Shaking her head to try to dislodge the nervous thoughts, she headed towards the door. But before she reached it, she doubled back towards the car.

"No. No." She turned around, only to be unable to make that final step.

She slumped onto a bench positioned near the front door and braced her elbows on her knees. She couldn't do this. When it came down to making herself truly vulnerable, she just couldn't do it. What sort of a coward was she?

"Are you okay?"

Hope looked up, startled. Ryan stood there, his hands in his pockets.

"Um." Hope wrapped her arms around her middle as if to protect the baby from possible rejection. "I um, I don't know."

"You wanna come inside?"

Was she just imagining it? Or was there truly a spark in his eyes, as though that connection she'd felt to him before was still there?

"Look, if you wanna wait in your car, it's okay, but you're welcome to come in if you want."

"Sure." Hope stood up slowly.

"I'm Hope." God, that hurt, introducing herself to him again. She was an idiot for allowing herself to feel so deeply for someone she'd only known for a week and that was a month ago, and he didn't even remember it.

"Pretty name, for a pretty girl."

"It's a painfully normal name, Ryan." She glanced at his name tag, trying to cover her slip of knowing his name.

"So, what brings you to town?" Ryan asked as he headed back towards where he was stocking some shelves at the back of the store.

"Just looking to start a new life. You wouldn't happen to know of any rooms for rent, do you? I've got some money, so I can pay an advance."

Ryan pursed his lips as if considering something, then he said, "My step-mother's been looking to rent out our basement, so I can take you to meet her after I get off work this evening, if you don't mind waiting."

"I don't mind." Hope smiled, then bit her lip.

"It'll be another four hours," he warned, his gaze flicking to her lips for a moment before returning to her eyes once more.

"I can wait. If you don't mind the strangest girl you've ever met keeping you company."

"You think you're the strangest person I've ever met?" He raised one eyebrow skeptically as he stood up, towering over her.

"Two things, one you don't know anything about me, so for all you know, I might be a serial killer, and two, I was pacing outside the store just a few minutes ago. So yeah, that's strange."

"Fine, that is strange, but your eyes say that whatever you've done, you didn't do it to be cruel." Pulling out his phone, he typed out a message, then slid his phone into his pocket. "I sent a text to Seylah, telling her that I think I found a renter."

"You don't mind, renting a room to someone you just met?"

"Something tells me I can trust you."

"Would you still trust me if I told you I was pregnant?" Fear clogged her throat and she was forced to choke out the words. Here it was. Now he knew part of the truth about what was going on with her.

"Oh." Ryan's face closed off and he looked down, his brows furrowed. His breath shuddered and he chewed on the inside of his cheek as he struggled with whatever thoughts were going through his head.

"I'm sorry. I'll um, I'll go."

Hope wrapped her arms more tightly around her middle and she headed towards the door. Tears flowed down her cheeks and she sniffed in an effort to keep from sobbing. She should have known her dreams were too good to ever come true. What man wanted to have a girlfriend who was pregnant with what he believed to be another's baby?

"Hope, wait." He caught her arm. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I've got no right to expect anything from you." Hope shrugged in an attempt to make it seem like his reaction didn't cut even though the tears in her eyes gave away her pain.

"Don't, don't say that."

He looked down and swallowed thickly, something in his expression made her wonder just what he was thinking. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was devastated by her news, like his heart was breaking.

"It's just the way you said it, your tone, it reminded me of something I was hoping to never hear again."

"What did it remind you of?" She scrubbed her face with her sleeve, then looked up at him.

"The way my step-mother sounded when she found out she was pregnant after the nightmare she endured with my father. That same fear. You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to, but I'm here, I'll listen, no matter how crazy or terrible your story is."

"I'm not so sure you'd believe me if I told you."

Ryan stepped closer to her, cupping her cheek gently as his thumb brushed along her lower lip and Hope's breath caught in her throat. He shifted his hand so that he could cradle the back of her head with his hand.

"Tell me when you're ready."

"You promise you'll listen with an open mind?"

"As open as it can possibly be."

"Okay."

"Ryan!" a girl called from the front door.

The pair broke apart and both of their masks slipped into place, the moment shelved until a later time.

"Yes, Lucy?" he sighed.

When she saw Hope standing close to Ryan, the younger girl stared at her, rage in her eyes.

"Who's this?" Lucy demanded.

"Hope Marshall," Hope replied brightly.

"My girlfriend," Ryan added, then tugged Hope closer to his side and whispered, "play along."

"Girlfriend? You have a girlfriend?" Lucy squeaked.

"Yes. We've been together about a month." Hope tucked her head under Ryan's chin and allowed herself to luxuriate in his scent filling her nose: warm, earthy, home.

"Yep." Ryan kissed her temple and sighed into her hair, a contented sound Hope hadn't thought she'd hear from him, especially not so soon.

"How come I've never seen her before?" Lucy crossed her arms across her chest, her mouth pulling into a furious pout.

"I'm from out of town. We met when I was here a month ago, looking for a place to live." Hope ran her hand up and down Ryan's back, the way a real girlfriend might do with her boyfriend. The realization that the last time she'd touched him like this, they'd both been very naked sent a jolt of heat through her and she wished the next four hours were already passed.

"Now, I really have to get these shelves stocked while I have a chance. Chris won't stock it and I don't want to want to help him off a short pier when I come in tomorrow." Ryan turned back to his work and Hope leaned against the opposite shelf.

"I can do something about Chris, if you want," Hope offered.

"Like what?" Ryan grinned, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Pretty much anything you want. Depending on how old he is."

"Careful, Hope. I might just take you up on that."

"Any time you want me to mess with him, let me know."

"You want Ryan to get into trouble with the cops if something bad happens to Chris and they somehow trace it back to him?" Lucy cut in.

"I can get him out." Hope shrugged.

"You're a scary woman, Miss Marshall." Ryan looked up at her from under his lashes.

Hope shrugged lightly, her brain short-circuiting for a moment. God, he was beautiful.

"So you're fine with your _girlfriend_ breaking the law?" Lucy struggled to get the word 'girlfriend' out.

"It's only breaking the law if an innocent person gets hurt. Otherwise, it's justice." Hope raised an eyebrow at the girl.

Did Lucy not think about what she was saying? If Ryan had decided to start something with her, he'd be breaking the law and be risking jail time. But what did a sheltered girl understand about life altering decisions like that?

"You might want to rethink your 'punish the annoying coworker' thing until after the baby's born though."

"Baby!" Lucy squeaked. "What baby?"

"Hope's pregnant and the baby's mine."

"Ryan." Was he seriously doing this? Hope felt lightheaded and she swayed on her feet. Had he seriously just claimed her baby as his?

"Hope." Ryan caught her arm and guided her to the floor. "I know you were wanting to keep this a secret for another few weeks at least, but I just couldn't keep it quiet."

Hope could only nod.

"She's seriously pregnant?"

"It can happen when you have sex. Now, either you buy something or leave. I've got work to do."

"Okay." Hope took a deep breath and blinked several times. "I think I'm feeling a little better."

She was still very lightheaded, but she could focus now, the words no longer reaching her through rushing in her ears.

"Just stay where you are for a few more minutes, until you know for sure you're not going to faint."

She nodded again and Ryan started stocking shelves again.

"Are you upset with me?" Ryan asked after a long moment of silence.

"Why would I be upset?" Hope struggled to think.

"Because what I told Lucy that I was the father of your baby and it's going to get around. I should have asked before saying anything."

"I don't mind." Hope looked up at him, studying his face. "Are you sure you want to be involved in my life though? The baby's not the strangest part of it."

"As long as the father won't show up to tell everyone that he's actually the father of the baby."

"There will be no one coming around to disprove your claim." Hope cradled her belly, then met Ryan's gaze. "Like I said, crazy story."

"Do you think I'm crazy?"

"Why would I think that?"

"I invited you to live in my home and claimed your baby as mine. That's gotta seem strange to you."

"Sometimes, something might seem a little impulsive, but it turns out to be the best thing that ever happened." Him accepting her and their baby, even if he didn't know it was his, it had her swallowing thickly. How was he so good to her?

"You think I could be the best thing that ever happened?" Ryan's lips curled up and he focused on cutting open a box.

"Yeah." Hope laughed softly. "I guess that makes me just as impulsive as you are."

"I'm not, at least not normally. It's just you."

"So it's my fault?" Hope bit her lip to fight her smile.

"Less your fault and more like you inspired me to let go for once."

"I hope you won't regret this, because getting involved with me is to invite a whole lot of, um, nothing normal into your life."

"Good thing I'm an expert at nothing normal."

Hope wondered what he'd say if he knew just how 'nothing normal' her life actually was.

For the next few hours, Hope stayed near Ryan, talking to him about anything and everything, aside from the supernatural. While it felt like she was lying in a way, she was still more honest with him than she'd been with anyone since she was taken. She wasn't the only one talking though. Ryan seemed just as eager for her to get to know him and before they realized it, it was time for Ryan to clock out.

"You ready?" Ryan asked as he led the way to the front door.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Don't be nervous. Seylah's a good woman and my kid brother isn't anyone to be afraid of."

"I just haven't been in someone's home as a guest in a very long time."

Ryan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair, then whispered, "I'll be right here, the whole time. I promise."


	11. Chapter 11

"Hey, Mom, this is Hope, the girl I texted you about." Ryan shifted Hope's duffle bag full of clothing so that it hung more comfortably off his shoulder.

"I'm Seylah, as you may have guessed." The older woman looked Hope up and down carefully. "The room is in the basement. It's fully furnished, has its own bathroom and fridge, and you have free reign of the stove and sink up here, provided you clean up after yourself. Though you'd be welcomed to eat with us if you want."

Hope was taken aback by this level of generosity and she almost bolted for the door. People were never kind to her unless they wanted something from her, except for Ryan, but she remained where she was.

"Would you like to see it?" Ryan offered.

"By the time you unpack and take a shower if you want to, dinner should be ready."

"I'm not that hungry."

"Yes, Ryan mentioned you were pregnant and that the baby was his." She glanced at Ryan with one brow going up just a little in an almost automatic gesture. He met her gaze with unflinching steadiness as they communicated silently.

"Come on. Let's get you unpacked." Seylah said finally, as if accepting whatever she saw in Ryan's face as enough for her to go with what he wanted. "Once you're settled, I'll get some water boiling to make you some tea. Peppermint was my go-to when I was pregnant."

Seylah opened a door and led the way down the stairs to a furnished basement, complete with paneled walls and carpet on the floors.

Gesturing to a TV and couch situated across the room from the bedroom door, Seylah said, "That's available to you if you want to use it. Washer and dryer are over there, and the fridge is around that corner."

"Thank you."

"You agreed to pay rent, so you should get to use the facilities if you need them."

"Everything I have to unpack needs to be washed before I put them away, so I think I'd like to start a load, if that's alright with you?"

"Of course."

"I'll take it from here, if you want me to," Ryan offered.

"Okay. One more thing, if you have guests, I would like to know so I'm not surprised if I come down to do laundry and I see someone I don't know," Seylah said, almost as an afterthought.

"I can do that, though I don't know anyone really, so that shouldn't be a problem." Hope laughed, but it sounded forced, even to her own ears.

"Alright. Come up when you're ready." Seylah left them then.

"I'll put this bag away." Hope held up the bag full of cash. "It's got nothing that can be washed in it."

"Do you want me to go ahead and get this started?" Ryan held up the two bags he carried.

"If you don't mind handling my dirty clothes."

"I've got a teenage brother. I doubt your laundry could be worse than how his smells after marinating in his room for two months."

"That would be an experience." Hope wrinkled her nose at the thought. It might be bad for a human nose, but for hers, it would be even worse.

"It definitely is," Ryan laughed as he headed towards the washing machine.

Once he was occupied, Hope opened the bedroom door to find a comfortable room. The dark blue bedding and warm gray walls, with dark wood furniture created more warmth in a room than Hope had experienced in years.

Looking over her shoulder, to double check that Ryan was still busy and Hope shoved her money bag into the lowest drawer of the dresser. Then, she placed a spell on it so only she and people she allowed could access it.

When she finished with the spell, Hope returned to the main room. As if sensing her approach, he turned to face her, his gaze falling to her mouth, then he looked at the floor, a faint smile pulling at his face. Hope walked closer to him, her teeth catching her lower lip

"May I kiss you?" she whispered.

"Yes."

Hope stood up on her tiptoes and Ryan lowered his head as he pressed his mouth softly against hers. Hope wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, and he deepened the kiss just a little, his tongue brushing lightly against her lips

"You probably think I'm weird." Hope dropped down so that she was flat on her feet once more. "I don't usually go around kissing people I've only just met randomly."

"Getting kissed by the most beautiful woman I've ever seen is hardly something to call weird." His lips pulled into a wide grin. Then, he chewed on his inner cheek as he cradled her jaw and he ducked his head to press another light kiss to her lips.

With a contented sigh, Hope laid her head against his heart and closed her eyes as she listened to the steady beat. Almost hesitantly, Ryan wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek against her hair.

"Is this real?" Ryan's voice was so soft Hope wondered if he'd meant for her to hear him.

A flash of rage cut through her, threatening to ruin the moment, at the reminder of just how badly people had broken him down. To keep from revealing she knew more than he'd told her since she arrived that day, Hope took a deep breath to calm herself. She was here now and she would do everything she could to help him heal from the damage that had been done.

Someone barreled down the stairs and Hope looked up to see who it was and a teenager who was several inches shorter than Ryan skidded to a stop when he saw them. His mouth fell open, at he stared at Hope.

As she looked at him, Hope wondered if this was Landon. The only resemblance that she saw between him and Ryan was their similar hair, both in texture and color, but then again, her own family was proof that family could look very different.

"Landon."

Ryan's breath stirred Hope's hair and she pressed her cheek against his chest, needing his touch. Was it because she was pregnant? Or because she just wanted to reconnect with the one person who had made her feel like a person? Maybe it was a combination of the two.

"Dinner's about ready." Landon kept staring at them.

"Hopefully, your mom has that tea ready." Hope looked up at Ryan, then pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"Stomach still a little twisted up?" Ryan brushed a lock of hair out of her face.

"Yeah. Maybe I should take a shower and see if that'll help too." Hope glanced towards the bedroom door. She wanted desperately to ask him to join her, but what would he think, her asking him to do that? She was the only one who remembered that they'd slept together, so maybe she shouldn't push so far.

"Alright."

As the warm water washed over her, Hope tilted her head back, luxuriating in the feel of it. Truck stop showers were serviceable, but clinical, and the warmth never seemed to reach her bones, unlike this shower. The only thing that would have made it better was if Ryan was in there with her.

Finally, she knew she had to get out of the shower, because it would be rude of her to stay in the shower, wasting water, so she climbed out.

Hope caught her reflection in the steamed up mirror and wiped off the fog. Once it was clear, she framed her still flat stomach, wondering just how she'd look when her belly started swelling with the child she carried, Ryan's baby. Was this how her mother felt when she decided she wanted to keep her? This overwhelming love for a baby she never planned on having, but would do everything to protect?

"Hope?" Ryan called from outside the shower door. "Dinner's ready."

"Be right there!" Hope replied.

Dressing quickly, Hope tossed her dirty clothing into the nearby hamper, then exited the bathroom, running into Ryan as she did so.

"Sorry." Ryan ducked his head just a little in apology.

"It's okay." Hope reached up, pressing her fingertips against his lips.

Ryan wrapped his hand around her forearm, then kissed the soft skin of her inner wrist, keeping his gaze on hers as he did so.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Still nauseated. I'm afraid to eat anything."

"Seylah has tea and toast ready for you."

Reaching out hesitantly, he ran his knuckles over her stomach, profound sadness in his eyes. What was he thinking, to make him look that way? Did he think she'd gotten pregnant through some terrible event and she was on the run?

In an effort to get his thoughts off of whatever he was thinking, Hope caught his hand and flattened his palm over where his baby lay. Would the child look more like her or like him? Or would it be some kind of combination of both of them?

"He or she will be beautiful with you for a mother," Ryan whispered, bringing his other hand up to frame her belly.

"And they'll be lucky to have you for a father." Hope's throat tightened, wishing she could tell him the truth, that the child she carried was his, but fear of how he'd react held her tongue.

"Ryan? Hope?" Seylah called, drawing them out of the moment.

Standing on tiptoe, Hope kissed Ryan softly on the lips and linked her hand with his.

With whatever dark thoughts he'd been thinking cleared from his thoughts, Ryan smiled at her and led her up the stairs.

Landon was already sitting at the table with they arrived and Hope unwillingly separated from Ryan to sit across from him.

"So, you're Ryan's girlfriend?" Landon asked, something in his voice warning Hope that something was up.

"Something like that."

"Did you tell her everything?" Landon looked at Ryan.

"We all have things we'd rather people not know about ourselves," Hope cut in. "He can tell me whatever secret he has when he's ready and I'll tell him mine."

"Secrets like his?"

"You don't know what secrets I have." Hope raised an eyebrow at the younger boy.

"Landon," Seylah admonished as she set a mug of peppermint tea and a small plate of lightly buttered toast in front of Hope. "Let me know if you want anything else."

"I think toast will suffice for now." Hope smiled.

"I remember how it was when I was pregnant. I could hardly keep anything down and it was all Ryan could do to convince me to even try to eat anything."

After setting the casserole on the table, Seylah sat down and food started getting passed around. Some steam from the casserole hit Hope full in the face and she struggled to keep herself from gagging.

"If you want to sit in the living room with your tea, I don't mind," Seylah said, her expression sympathetic when she realized that the food was negatively affecting Hope.

"Thanks." Hope took her tea and toast to the living room and took a seat on the couch nearest to the table, so she could still be a part of the conversation, while far enough away from the food that twisted at her stomach.

"I thought morning sickness only hit in the morning," Landon commented.

"Not always." Hope took a sip of her tea and allowed the liquid to soothe her twisted stomach. The scents from the table still messed with her, but not nearly as much as it would have if she was sitting right next to the food.

Hope looked up at Ryan and he smiled at her. Catching her lower lip between her teeth, she looked down. She ached for him, to take him inside herself once more. Now, how could she convince him that she knew what she wanted and that he was it?


	12. Chapter 12

After dinner, Hope helped them clear the table.

"You don't have to do that," Seylah said as she put the leftovers into containers.

"It's been a while since I was a part of a family, so it makes me feel normal."

Seylah smiled at her, but said nothing else, just put the containers into two lunch pails, one with her name and one with Ryan's name.

As she turned from putting the plates in the sink, Hope found herself bumping into Ryan.

"Sorry about that." Ryan grinned and trailed his fingers down Hope's arm.

Hope caught her lower lip between her teeth and looked at him from under her lashes. The heat that had been simmering since she left him flared through her veins and damn, but she just wanted him to pin her against the nearest wall and take her!

"Okay, you two, get out of here," Seylah said with a teasing smile when she caught the looks between them. "Landon and I can finish this."

"Are you sure?" Hope asked, without looking away from Ryan's face.

"Go on." Seylah waved them away.

Taking Hope's hand in his, Ryan led the way down to Hope's bedroom.

"Where are they going?" Landon asked his mother.

"Leave them alone, Landon," Seylah laughed.

As they descended the stairs, they traded soft kisses. Hope almost tripped, she was so focused on his plush lips against hers, but he caught her before she fell.

"You kiss so well, you distracted me," Hope giggled. "Which normally would be a good thing."

"But not on the stairs."

Hope linked her fingers through his and led him the rest of the way down to her bedroom.

"Am I too presumptuous to think that you want this to go the way I want it to?" Ryan asked once the door was closed behind them.

"No." Hope took a step towards him, so that her breasts pressed against his chest. At the contact, her nipples hardened, in anticipation of his touch.

Ryan cupped her cheek and kissed her softly, his tongue brushing against her lips. That first touch drew a whimper from Hope and she dug her fingers into his hair, clinging to him. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her over to the bed and laid her down.

With a grin, he pulled his shirt off and pressed kisses against her skin as he crawled up her body, tugging on her tank top over her head as he moved. As he threw her top over his shoulder, Hope undid her bra and tossed it off to the side, moaning as his chest brushed against her nipples.

"Hope," Ryan whispered, cradling her jaw.

Keeping her eyes on his, Hope undid her pants and he pulled them off her, leaving her only in her panties. Thankfully, she'd thought to put on a decent pair instead of one of her oldest ones, so she had nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Damn, sweetheart, you're so beautiful."

"I want you Ryan." She slid her leg up his side, pulling him closer to her.

With a groan, Ryan kissed her, his tongue sliding into her mouth as he unbuckled his belt, revealing that he truly did have a thing against wearing anything under his pants, because once again, he had gone commando. When he'd kicked the last of his clothing over the side of the bed, he kissed her again, tugging her panties down her legs, leaving her as naked as he was.

"I want you now, Ryan. Please." Hope arched beneath him, attempting to get him closer to where she needed him. "Please. No foreplay, just your cock inside me. Now."

With a groan, Ryan thrust into her, drawing a whimper from Hope's lips.

"Oh, goddamn, Hope! You feel so incredible!" Ryan kissed her, then ducked his head to capture one of her nipples between his lips. He sucked so gently on it that to her pregnancy sensitive breasts, it felt delicious.

"Ryan. Damn, you make me feel so good. Love the way you feel inside me."

Ryan started thrusting then, slow and gentle. He rested his forehead against hers, kissing her softly and as much as she wanted to feel his touch against her skin, her body ached, desperate for him to stake his claim on her, to prove that their connection was as strong as she'd hoped it was.

"Harder, Ryan. Please. Harder!" Hope dug her heels into his back,

"I don't want to hurt you or the baby." Ryan's voice was so strangled that Hope knew that he was as desperate for her as she was for him and this was what they both needed.

"We both can handle it and I need it. Please," Hope begged

Burying his face into her neck, he groaned as rocked into her as hard as he could, every move forcing a cry from Hope's lips.

"Goddamn, sweetheart."

Hope sucked on his shoulder, nipped at his neck and with her teeth while she ran her hands over his back, enjoying the feel of his muscles bunching beneath her fingers.

Bracing himself on his elbow, he kissed her lips as he reached his other hand between her legs to stroke her clit. Hope threw her head back, screaming his name as she moved against him. Her nails raked across his back and he groaned.

Fire raced through her veins and she found her release with a sharp gasp. When she climaxed, it triggered his and he exhaled her name as he spilled inside her.

As he rolled onto his side, he sighed, "Next time, I'm gonna take it slow, because it's what you deserve."

"Hard and fast isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes, it's exactly what's needed, like today." Hope kissed his chest.

"I heard that pregnancy can make a woman horny, but not until the second trimester."

"When I'm not dealing with morning sickness, I want you to screw me as many times a day as you can." Hope trailed her fingers down his torso.

God, she needed to tell him about her past, her life, and the truth about the baby's parentage, but she didn't want to ruin things. Moments like this were so rare in her life that she just wanted to savor it, to allow her soul to rest until she had to get up and fight again."

"What are you thinking?" Ryan brushed her hair gently out of her face.

"I wish I could find the words," Hope whispered. "But I don't know what I can say to explain without sounding insane."

"When you're ready to talk, I'll listen and I'll believe you, I promise." Ryan tucked her head under his chin.

"You say that now, but I don't know if you'll still say that when I tell you my story."

"You're not the only one with an insane story, Hope. I only told you part of my life and when you tell me your story, I'll tell you mine. Then, we'll see who's lived the most out there life."

"I win." What could be more insane than being the tribrid daughter of Niklaus Mikaelson and being erased from memory by being thrown into a tar pit, only to be turned into an assassin for an unforgiving, supernatural hating organization?

"You say that now. But you may be eating that boast when I tell you my story." Ryan laughed and kissed the top of her head. "For now though, just enjoy the moment."

Hope draped her leg over his hips and sighed, content. Just lying here with him, skin to skin, it allowed the stress

"Being with you, it's like pieces of me are coming together and I can breathe, for the first time in years." Hope traced abstract patterns across his chest as she spoke.

"You're not the only one who feels that way. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom and Landon. They're my family and Seylah was the first one to accept me and she wasn't afraid of me even though I was a mess of a person when we met. But you reach into a place I've never let anyone else be."

"She sounds like an amazing woman."

"She was the first good person I ever met. She made me want to start to see myself as a person, instead of as an extension of my father, the failure who can only prove I'm worth living by doing what he wants. She accepted me as her son, even though she didn't need to and I'm grateful to her for that."

"Your father sounds like a sperm donor instead of a father."

Ryan chuckled once, but it sounded forced, so Hope propped herself up on her elbow to look down at his face. When he caught her eyes, the storm that had been gathering across his face dissipated and he smiled up at her as he caught one of her curls between his fingers and traced her lower lip with it.

"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Ryan whispered, awed.

"I'm not."

How could a monster like she was be beautiful? She'd taken human life to become a werewolf and then she'd killed so many supernatural people during her time with Triad, many of them innocent of any crime.

"You are, Hope. You're stunning, and you took a liking to me." He shook his head as if unable to believe what he was saying.

Not wanting to bring the moment down again with the thoughts floating through her mind, she caught his lower lip between her teeth and tugged on it lightly.

"You're not so bad looking yourself." Hope pressed his lips to hers softly and he cupped her cheek as she deepened the kiss. Lifting her head, she said, "I don't have a lot of references to draw from due to certain events in my life, but you are definitely the nicest looking guy I've ever come across."

Ryan flipped them and braced himself on one hand above her, making Hope giggle.

"It's not just your face that draws me in though. You're gentle, kind, and even though I know you're a strong woman, I want to protect you, to be the person you can lean on."

"You're gonna make me fall in love with you," Hope whispered, tears stinging her eyes.

"You're not the only one who feels that way." Ryan's dark eyes were so vulnerable that Hope's heart twisted and she struggled against the urge to cry.

"It scares me though. I don't know how to let people in. I'm so used to seeming like I'm untouchable, invulnerable, that I don't know how to actually not be that way."

"Don't be afraid of me, because I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm not afraid of you, because you're the best person I've met in so long. I'm afraid of myself, of what you might think of me when you get to know me better."

Ryan cupped her neck, tracing his thumb along her jaw, his voice little more than a whisper as he said, "I'm not asking that you trust me with your heart, not until you're ready. But I want to earn that, and for you to love me too, and for you to trust me with your story and for you to accept mine. Then for you, me, and this baby to make a family together."

Hope sat back on her heels and stared at her hands for a long moment. She needed to tell him. This conversation was turning into something that let her know she needed to be honest with him, to let him know what he was getting into, before he fell in love with her.

"I'm not human," Hope whispered.

"What?" Ryan sat up on his elbows, his brows furrowing.

"My father, Niklaus Mikaelson, the Original Hybrid, and my mother, Hayley Marshall-Kenner, Hybrid Queen of the Crescent werewolves, they have no idea I exist. Because when I was seven years old, I was thrown into a tar pit that erased me from the collective consciousness."


	13. Chapter 13

"I can prove it if you don't believe me."

"When you were seven?" Ryan asked.

Hope nodded. "Apparently, because I've got vampire, witch, and werewolf in me, it knocked the pit out of commission because it was created using the blood of a vampire, a witch, and a werewolf, and Malivore disappeared.

"How did people forget you right after you left town?"

"You remember?"

"I remember. But Seylah doesn't."

"You're not human."

"How do you know that?"

"The spell I did, it erased me from human memory, but anyone not human would still remember me. It was the only way I could get away from Triad."

Ryan's face twisted into something almost heartbroken and he pulled away, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, presenting her with his back.

"So, you didn't get pregnant when you were thrown into the pit."

"What? No. I got pregnant when I slept with you when I was here last time. How the hell could the pit get anyone pregnant anyway?"

Ryan grabbed his pants and pulled them on, his hands shaking.

No. No. No! This was turning out even worse than she'd been afraid of. He wasn't just denying it was his, he was dressing, leaving her. This couldn't be happening. No. No. He could reject her if he wanted to, but she wouldn't let him turn his back on his child. She could take him walking away from her. No, actually she couldn't. It hurt, but his baby didn't deserve his abandonment.

"It's your baby!" Hope leaped off the bed and spun him to face her.

He scoffed and pulled away from her as he said, "That's not possible."

"I haven't had sex with anyone else. It is yours!"

"I'm sterile! I can't father a child! It's why Malivore threw me away in the first place!" Ryan spat. "So, save it for someone less gullible!"

"I don't think you're gullible!"

"Apparently you do if you think I'd buy that I'm the father of your child! I've been alive for centuries! If I could father a child, I would have by now!"

With a flick of her wrist, Hope threw Ryan across the bed and straddled him. He stared up at her, his eyes wide with shock, his breath coming in quick gasps.

Pinning his hands above his head, she growled, "You got me pregnant. I haven't slept with anyone else and I don't know why you think the tar pit that erased me from the collective consciousness as a child would be able to knock me up now."

"Malivore wasn't always the tar pit you saw."

"What?"

"It was a golem, created by the werewolf, witch, and vampire you mentioned. Malivore, the eater of the dark, was intended to destroy dragons since they were so difficult to kill, but it proved far more effective than they thought and it started consuming anyone not human or the protected species, the werewolves, witches, and vampires. The more it consumed, the more sentient it became until he was truly alive. With his new awareness, he realized he was alone, and soon, he started attempting to create more like him. But these new golems lacked his powers and were all sterile, though he became better at his craft, each one looking more human." He swallowed thickly. "Including me."

"Malivore created you?"

"Yes. Formed from the earth and brought to life with the mud of his body. I am one of those golems."

"How could something so empty and cold create a man like you?" Hope freed one of his wrists so she could stroke his face.

"I'm sterile. There's no way I can be the father of your baby."

"No one like me has ever existed before. Maybe since I'm Malivore's weakness, it's what you needed to be able to procreate."

"I want to believe you. Truly, nothing would make me happier than to know that the woman I fell for is carrying my child. Proof that Malivore was wrong about me and to have the chance to be a better father to a child of my blood than he was to me."

"So what made you think that Malivore the mud bath got me pregnant?"

"Perhaps I should finish the story, tell you how he went from being a creature who could walk to the mud pit you saw. Because it's the only way it will make sense." Ryan caught one of her curls between his fingers and twirled it around. "After he threw me away, and refused to accept any attempts I made to be a good son, I turned on him, leading witches to him and they turned him into the pit. But in that state, humans could use him against anyone that sided against them, including other humans. I felt so guilty for what I'd done that I tried to return myself to my father."

"You went into the pit?"

"Yes, but he rejected me, left me there in the darkness for decades to punish me for betraying him. I screamed and begged him to hear me, but I was still the failure I was before to him. So I waited in the dark, until one day, he spat me out, near Seylah. She had been thrown in two years before I was spat out and she was horrified to learn she was pregnant. I helped her run and I protected her and Landon, while doing my best to support her. So yes, the story I told you was true, just without the supernatural element."

"Malivore created the son he wanted."

"The son who can procreate like he wants, so when he finds a way to free himself from his current state, he can use Landon like a meat suit."

"He wants to possess Landon?" Hope asked, horrified. Who would do that to their own child? She couldn't imagine wanting to harm the baby she carried in that way

"Yes, which is why I was so concerned when I first saw you and your partner in town. I knew you were Triad and I thought Malivore had found us."

Hope rolled onto her side, taking him with her, so that they were lying face to face.

"So, Seylah was basically raped by Malivore since she didn't have a choice as to whether she got pregnant or not and then spat out to give birth to his child."

"Yes. And then I was spat out to make sure Landon survived to adulthood so Malivore can take over his body. But I rebelled and that became even easier when Seylah started seeing me as a person instead of a part of my father."

Hope traced her fingers over his lips.

"If I'd realized you weren't human, I would have handled telling you about the baby differently, like performing a spell that would prove the paternity. But think about it, my father was a thousand years old before I came into existence, a vampire before he broke his curse. If he could father a child after that, why can't you father a baby with me?"

She carded her fingers into his hair, as she met his gaze, willing him to believe her. He had to believe her. This tiny bundle of cells growing within her was a part of him and her, and when she finally gave birth, it would be its own person and proof that she was wanted. A spell would have made this so much easier, but she wanted him to want this, want her, without any help. It had to be because he actually believed her and trusted her, not because she made him do it.

"Is it actually my baby?" Ryan whispered, a heartbreaking desire to hope in his eyes.

"It's your baby, Ryan. Malivore was wrong about you. I'm the tribrid, the only one of my kind, Malivore's weakness. So, the rules that apply to everyone else in regards to him, they don't apply to me. Hell, I was so much of a weakness to him that he had to spit me out."

"So, he still exists." Ryan sighed, his body sagging.

"Yes. He did have a portal set up after I destroyed his main body to send monsters my way to try to kill me, but I found it and poured some of my blood into it. It closed and as far as I know he hasn't created another one."

"Your blood with no body attached to it will make it difficult for him to expel it, so smart move."

Ryan shed his pants and pulled her tightly against him. As he held her, Hope smelled tears and she wrapped her arms around him.

"You're carrying my baby," he murmured in awe.

"Yes."

He rolled them so that he was lying half on top of her, his dark eyes vulnerable.

"You came back for me."

"Yes." Hope stretched up and kissed him softly. "Meeting you inspired me to do something I'd hardly dared dream about, being free. And then when I was on my way back to you, I found out I was pregnant."

"You were coming to me back before you knew about the baby?" Ryan asked in a choked whisper.

"Yeah. I rebelled against Triad because of you, because you made me feel like I was worth more than what I could do."

"Oh, God, Hope. You have no idea how terrible it's been since, reading your last text, telling me goodbye, I was so scared because I know better than most what Triad is capable of. Then, Seylah couldn't remember you anymore and I thought you'd been thrown into the pit."

"And when I came back, I was pregnant and you thought Malivore did to me what he did to her because you didn't know I wasn't nature's cosmic mistake so the rules don't always apply to me." Hope ran her hand up and down his back in an effort to soothe him for the pain she'd put him through.

"Yes. And you're not a mistake, Hope." Ryan pressed his cheek against hers and murmured, "You're a damn miracle, that's what you are. You brought my father down even more than I did and made it so Triad couldn't use him to get rid of people who got in their way. Now you're giving me a baby."

"Do you want to know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"I honestly don't care one way or the other. You're pregnant with my baby, so boy or girl, I'll love this child just the same."

"You want to wait until the baby's born to find out?"

"Maybe later we can find out, but right now, I don't care. You're here, you're safe, and you're pregnant with my baby."

Drawing her leg up his side, Hope kissed him. Ryan groaned and deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding into her mouth. When Hope finally pulled away to draw a much needed breath, Ryan kissed his way down her throat.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Hope, you're a miracle. You survived my father and now you're pregnant with my baby."

"I swear me being pregnant is a turn on for you," Hope moaned.

"Damn, sweetheart, it's definitely a turn on, because it's mine. My baby growing inside you and soon, everyone will be able to see that I got you pregnant."

Her heart twisted with what he wasn't saying. He'd spent centuries believing he was less than because he hadn't been able to father a child until now. So of course he was proud of the fact that his child was growing inside her womb.

He sat back on his heels to look over her body, then leaned over and kissed her belly.

"My baby, growing right here," he whispered against her skin.

"Oh, Ryan." Hope dug her fingers into his hair, holding him lightly to her as her head fell back.

Ryan kissed his way back up her body, pressing his mouth softly against her nipples.

"I love you," she sighed, arching against his mouth.

"I love you, sweetheart," Ryan murmured against her lips.

"Take me, please." Hope wrapped her legs around him, arching beneath him. "Take me. I need you."

Ryan's lips parted as he braced himself above her, his dark eyes earnest.

"Please, Ryan," Hope begged.

"Oh, Hope," he groaned as he slammed into her.

"Yes, Ryan, yes. Just like that."

Hope kissed him then, her tongue sliding into his mouth as she drew his hips closer to hers.

With a groan, Ryan finally claimed her body, their cries of pleasure mingling in the air.


	14. Chapter 14

Hope tucked her head under Ryan's chin and sighed, content.

"What if we went to New Orleans?" Hope asked after a while.

"Is that where your family is?"

"Yeah. Since the first witch of every new generation in my family is exceptionally powerful, I'll need my aunt's help to handle that and with Mikaelsons, family is always and forever."

"That means exposing ourselves to the rest of the world." Ryan kissed the top of her head.

"Maybe just my aunt at first. She's powerful and knows magic that might undo Malivore."

Ryan's grip on her tightened.

"What is it?"

"Killing Malivore permanently, that might mean killing me, since he gave me life."

"Then, we'll find a way to save you, to bind you to me." Hope traced patterns across his chest. "I won't let you die."

"You're afraid."

"I'm a wolf. We're pack animals and even if we're so called lone wolves, we seek out our pack when we're pregnant. Not having them around me, it leaves me feeling vulnerable." Her throat tightened as she admitted how she felt.

Ryan rolled onto his side and brushed her hair out of her face. Hope laid her head on his arm, near his elbow so she could look him in the eye.

"You really do need your pack, don't you?"

"Yes."

"I'll talk to Seylah. I can't promise she'll agree to go, but at least she'll know that you're a werewolf and that the baby is actually mine."

"Just as long as she knows, that's all I can ask."

"It would make her feel better, if she knew that we would be making contact with a witch as powerful as your aunt seems to be."

"Freya Mikaelson is one of the most powerful witches to ever exist and my family will stand by me if I reveal to them and prove to them that I am one of them. And they'll protect you since you're the father of my baby. That makes Seylah and Landon family too. We protect our own."

"How hard do you think it'll be to convince them?"

"Considering how paranoid they are? It could take months. Depending on how we handle it."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"I'm thinking maybe a blood sample and a letter might get things started, because just showing up will only risk things turning violent, especially if my dad is in earshot."

"Okay. Once I talk to Seylah, depending on what she says, you contact your family and we'll go from there." Ryan kissed her forehead and pulled her back against him.

"I love you, Ryan."

"I love you too, Hope."

"What if Seylah says 'no'?"

"We'll figure something out, because this baby is more important to me than Landon is. This baby is a part of me, blood of my blood and I will be the best father that I can be to him or her. If that means walking away from Seylah and Landon, I'll do it."

"They're your family too."

"Yeah. But if it comes to choosing between Seylah or our baby, I will choose this baby."

"You care about her. You wouldn't have stuck around so long if you didn't." Hope carded her fingers into his hair and kissed him softly.

"She was the first one to treat me like a person, but I won't allow that to come between me and doing what's best for our child."

"I hope it doesn't come to that."

"Hopefully it won't. Besides, it's almost time for us to move anyway because people will soon start to notice that I don't age."

"That's the nice thing about New Orleans, especially the French Quarter. So many people there don't age that you'd blend right in." Hope brought one of his hands to her lips and kissed his knuckles. "And if I can convince my family that I am who I say I am, all three of you will fall under Mikaelson protection. Yes, I know they couldn't protect me, but Malivore is currently in limbo and Triad lost their greatest asset when I ran, so if we reveal what we know, we'll be able to keep them from come after us again."

"Maybe you should contact them before I talk to Seylah. If she finds out that the Mikaelsons are willing to protect her and Landon, she will be more willing to go there."

"What if she still decides to stay away?"

"Then, it will be time to go our separate ways. Seylah will always be important to me and I will do what I can for her, but I can't protect her and Landon if it means putting my child at risk."

"I don't want to come between family, Ryan. Family is the most important thing there is."

"Yes, and you and this baby are my family too. So, what do you need to prove to your family you are who you say you are?"

"A vial for my blood, which you probably don't have, some paper, and pens. Would you mind accompanying me tomorrow, after you get off work?"

"And get to spend some time out of the house showing the town my pregnant girlfriend? Why would I mind? If we're lucky, we'll run into Lucy and she can start ranting about you being pregnant so then everyone will hear."

Hope slapped his arm playfully, then laid her cheek over his heart, listening to the steady rhythm.

"So, how are you going to send your message?"

"Magic." Hope sat up so she could kiss the tip of his nose and grinned. "Silly."

"I love you." Ryan raised one long fingered hand to her cheek to cradle it.

"I love you." Hope didn't think she'd ever get tired of saying that to him.

He tucked her head under his chin once more.

The next morning, Hope woke up to hear Seylah and Ryan talking.

"Are you sure?" Seylah was saying.

"I believe her, Seylah. Please. I'm not asking you to jump into this with me, but if it works out the way she's hoping, you could come with us and then you and Landon would have more protection against Malivore."

"Okay. I'll start putting things together, just in case things work out like you want it to." Seylah sounded uncertain. "After everything you've done for me, I trust you and I'm not going to walk away from you."

"Thank you."

Seylah's voice came out much more muffled this time, as though she was hugging him when she said, "I want you happy. You saved me, became a brother to me, and you've protected us both for so long, now it's time for you to live."

"What about you? When do you get to live?"

"I'll take my moments of happiness where I can get them and seeing how happy you are since finding out you're going to be a father, that's one of those moments."

Not wanting to intrude on their privacy anymore than she already was, Hope climbed out of bed and headed towards the shower. As the water washed over her, she once again found herself wishing that Ryan would join her, but she knew he had things he needed to do. Maybe some other time, he'd be able to, but for now, she'd just have to shower alone and daydream about the father of her baby making love to her beneath the warm spray.

When she exited the bathroom, wrapped only in a towel, Ryan was there, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You could have joined me." Hope smiled over her shoulder as she let the towel drop.

"You heard what Seylah and I talked about?" Ryan asked, coming up behind her and kissing her neck.

"Some. I tried not to listen much though. It seemed private and what you two talk about isn't always my business." Hope leaned back against him. "I hear a lot more than people mean for me to, so it's become second nature to tune conversations not meant for me out."

"She's a lot happier for me than I thought she'd be and she's surprisingly willing to risk exposing Landon for me."

"She cares about you."

Hope drew his hand lower down her body, her head falling back as his long fingers dipped inside her.

"Yes, but I don't want to talk about her right now," Ryan whispered against her hair.

To her utter frustration, he only applied enough pressure to keep her excited, without easing the ache he'd ignited.

"If we keep going this way, I'm going to have to take another shower." Hope whimpered. "Damn you, Ryan, please."

"Please what?" Ryan asked as he spun her around, his lower lip caught between his teeth, his dark eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Get your head or your cock between my legs right now, or I swear I'm going to tie you to the bed and ride you until next year."

Her internal muscles quivered at the thought of having this man writhing beneath her, completely at her mercy with his length buried to the hilt inside her. A fresh wave of warmth flooded her and she rubbed her thighs together in an effort to create some much needed friction.

"Next time you make a threat, make it one I wouldn't mind having happen."

"I want you on top of me, on that bed, right now, Ryan. Or I'll just have to take care of things myself." Hope scowled up at him.

"Yes, ma'am." His grin widened and he scooped her into his arms before throwing her onto the bed before joining her.

Hope tugged his shirt over his head and they both shoved his pants down his legs.

"Need you, Ryan. Please." Hope spread her thighs, then kissed him, her tongue sliding into his mouth.

With a groan, Ryan claimed her body, thrusting as deeply as he could, her internal muscles stretching deliciously around him.

"I love you," Hope moaned, her back bowing, as Ryan set a hard rhythm, the sounds of skin against skin echoing off the walls.

"Love you too, Hope." Ryan kissed her, his breath hot against her lips. "I love you so much."

All too soon, Hope felt her climax overtaking her and she dug her nails into his back, raking her nails across his shoulders.

"So tight, sweetheart. You get so tight when you come." Ryan cried out then, spilling inside her.

As he caught his breath, he rolled onto his side, his softening cock slipping from her body as he moved.

"Damn. I did need that," Hope said, with a kiss to his chest.

"Is it going to be like this from here on out?" Ryan grinned at her.

"At least until I get too big to have sex comfortably, because right now, all I want is to screw you every day all day long."

"Hmmmm." Ryan kissed the corner of her mouth. "I think I can oblige at least once in the morning and once at night, more if I don't have to work."

"I can live with that."

"Did you want to go into town to pick up supplies? I don't think Seylah would mind getting what you need."

"What happened to showing off your pregnant girlfriend?" Hope teased and traced patterns up and down his chest with her fingertips.

"Showing off my girlfriend to a bunch of people who mean nothing to me and who I'm more than likely never going to see again once I leave this place verses having sex with my very horny, pregnant girlfriend?" Ryan raised an eyebrow at her, then kissed her lightly on the lips.

"I take it the sex wins out?" Hope nipped at his lower lips with her teeth, her blue eyes twinkling.

"Sex with you, most definitely. I can always show you off later."

"Good. Because as soon as you're able to, I want you inside me again."

"I think you'll find my recovery time is much better than the average human," Ryan said as he rolled her beneath him.


	15. Chapter 15

A knock on the bedroom door drew them out of their bubble.

"Go away," Hope breathed, not saying it loud enough for whoever it was to hear them. "We're busy."

Unfortunately, the knock came again, so Hope knew that whoever it was wouldn't be leaving without being answered and if that was the case, it was something one of them needed to know.

"Ignore it," Ryan whispered against her neck.

"It might be important." Hope tilted her head back.

"What is it?" Ryan asked, not lifting his head.

"I have the supplies you requested, Hope" Seylah called. "I'll leave them outside the door."

"Thank you, Seylah," Hope replied, fighting back a moan.

Seylah chuckled once and walked away.

"Are you trying to distract me so I don't do this?"

"Maybe," Ryan admitted.

Hope sat up, catching Ryan's cheek in her hand so she could look him in the eye. He started chewing on his lower lip, his mouth tight. The smile was gone from his eyes and something in those dark depths twisted at her heart.

"You're afraid," Hope whispered, her brows drawing into a furrow. "Why?"

"When you go home, you'll be surrounded by powerful beings, your own kind, really. And what use will you have for me? I'm just a pile of living, breathing mud."

"You're not just anything, Ryan. You gave me a reason to run and I thought you were human, so knowing that you're supernatural, it makes it so much easier, because now I don't have to worry about you getting killed permanently when I bring you to meet my family."

She pushed Ryan onto his back.

"Your family will judge me for being what I am."

"I won't let them." Hope carded her fingers through his hair.

"You can't stop them from feeling something, Hope."

"You're the father of the first Mikaelson of this next generation. Even if I wasn't in love with you, that makes you family, and family is always and forever." Hope rested her forehead against his and kissed him lightly.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his chest.

"If we're going to do this, I don't think you want to be sending a package to your family while smelling like sex," Ryan murmured against her temple.

"Take a shower with me?" Hope braced her hands on his shoulders and sat up slowly, trailing her fingers down his torso as she moved.

"Keep touching me like that and we won't be doing much showering." Ryan caught her hand and kissed her inner wrist.

"That's the point. I wanted you in there with me this morning, but you were busy. Now, you can make up for it."

"Is that so?" Ryan sat up, his hand lightly cradling her jaw, and he kissed her.

"I love you," Hope whispered.

"I love you, Hope Mikaelson. Now, let's get you clean so you can get this spell done and be with your pack."

Ryan swung his legs over the side of the bed and scooped Hope up. Hope wrapped her arms and legs around him so he could carry her to the bathroom. As he started the water, Hope leaned her head against his shoulder, nipping lightly at his neck with her teeth.

After the water warmed up, he set her down on the floor and the warm water washed over them. Pouring some body wash onto a cloth, Ryan slowly started rubbing it into her skin, the scent of lavender filling the steamed room.

As he made his way down her body, he lowered himself to his knees, then took her calf in his hand, spreading her legs. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to the most intimate part of her, but to Hope's frustration, he moved on to other parts of her body. As he caressed her, he started becoming aroused and Hope bit her lip, wishing she could just get him inside her, right then.

"Ryan," Hope breathed.

"Shh, sweetheart. I haven't had a chance to explore your body properly in weeks, and never while sober."

"You're teasing me."

"Yes, I am." He grinned up at her.

Leaning her head back against the wall, Hope sighed, enjoying the feel of his hands, his mouth on her. As much as she wanted to have him inside her right then, having him like this, it soothed her in a way she didn't know she needed until she met him. Her touch starved body was finally being sated by his touch, by the man who'd seen her as a person when to everyone else she was an automaton.

"You're so beautiful," Ryan whispered, sucking lightly on one of her nipples as he came up.

"So are you."

Taking the rag from him, Hope started running the cloth over his body.

"You don't have to do this."

"It's your turn to be cared for, love." Hope kissed his chest. "You've been the strong one for your entire life. So you deserve to be cared for and I want to do this. I've hurt so many people, so doing this for you, it makes me feel like I can be more than a monster."

"You're not a monster, Hope. You did kill people, but you were a child, thrown into a situation where you were forced to do whatever you were told to do to survive. That doesn't make you a bad person, especially since you feel bad about it now that you're not there any longer."

Slowly, she ran the cloth over his erection, more of a caress than to cleanse, and Ryan bit his cheek as his hips gave little jerks as he struggled to keep from thrusting into her hand.

"Who's being the tease now?" Ryan sighed, then it cut off in a groan as Hope focused her attention to the tip of his arousal.

Hope kissed him softly, but that kiss quickly turned to more as Ryan lifted her up, pinning her to the wall. His tongue slid into her mouth and Hope scraped her nails across his back, causing him to moan into her mouth.

"I can't keep my hands off of you, sweetheart," Ryan groaned as he thrust into her.

"Good."

Ryan set a steady rhythm, and the warm water washing over them, it added another sensation to their lovemaking.

His dark eyes never strayed from her face as he moved inside her, connecting them far deeper than just their bodies. In this moment, she felt so safe, so loved, as though no matter what happened to them, he would protect her heart. That he would always be what she could come back to when the things turned terrible, because she'd always have him.

After they climaxed, they leaned against the wall, allowing the evidence of sex to rinse down the drain. Ryan kissed Hope softly as he slipped out of her body.

"I love you and I can't say it enough," Ryan whispered.

"I love you too."

Ryan turned the water off and led Hope out of the shower.

Giggling, Hope started drying him off, loving the feel of his skin beneath her palms, even through the towel. God, he was so beautiful.

"Keep looking at me like that, and putting your hands on me the way you are, we'll never get anything done today."

"And?"

"And I have to leave to take care of some business in a few minutes. If I'm going to move to New Orleans, I have so things I need to take care of before I leave so no one follows us."

Hope pouted and he tapped her lips with his finger.

"We've all the time we'll need when I get home, sweetheart."

"I know, I know. I'm just really, really horny right now."

"Oh, sweetheart. I know and I love how much you want me."

After they dressed, Hope went to the door and picked up the bag of supplies Seylah had left for her.

"I have to leave to run some errands in a few minutes." Ryan glanced at the clock. "Do you want me to put it off 'til later so you can come with me?"

"I'd like you to be here, but we can't be living in each other's pockets all the time. You have things you have to do that don't require me around and I have things I have to do that don't involve you. Having us together all the time would breed contempt. Just because we love each other doesn't mean we should do everything together at all times."

"True. I don't want to leave the mother of my child for very long."

Standing on tiptoe, she kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Maybe when I get home, we can figure out if we're having a boy or a girl."

"I'd like that."

With one last kiss, Ryan left Hope alone.

Grabbing her spell supplies, she sat on the floor and set out what she needed to send her message.

After Ryan left the house, Hope took a deep breath and then started to write.

_F__reya,_

_I know you don't remember me, but I am the daughter of Niklaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall-Kenner. My name is Hope Andrea and I am eighteen years old. __I was born in 2012 and am the reason why the Mikaelsons returned to New Orleans and how Hayley found her family. You fought for me, bled for me, lost friends for me. It was because of me that Dahlia came to New Orleans and how y__ou__ w__ere__ able to free y__ourself__. It was also because of me that the Hollow came back, though I was able to bring her down somewhat before I was taken, though I didn't finish her off until just recently._

_As to why you don't remember me, I was taken by a group called Triad and thrown into a pit, Malivore, and this pit had magical properties which erased me from the collective consciousness. Once I became pregnant with my own child, I realized that there was no way I could stay away from my family. The father of my child is being the best about this, but I need my pack and my vampire family. Please. I want to come home._

_Enclosed, is a vial of my blood so you can test my claims for yourself. _

_Hope Andrea Mikaelson_

Folding the letter up, Hope cut her palm and allowed the blood to flow into the empty vial. Once she was finished, she bound the letter and vial together, then with a burst of magic, she sent the items to Freya.

Now, all she could do was wait.

What would they think? What would they say? Would they actually try to prove or disprove her claims? Or would they just throw the letter away, thinking she was a crackpot, trying to get in with the Mikaelsons?

Then again, what person would give their blood to another witch, knowing what could be done with that blood? That would make her beyond incredibly stupid.

With a sigh, Hope got to her feet and set about putting the supplies away, trying to do something, anything to distract herself from whatever was happening with the package she sent to New Orleans. If she thought about it too much, she might curl up and start crying.

She couldn't let herself think about how they might react to what she'd sent them, because there was no point in going through whatever was going to happen twice. Either Freya tried it or she didn't, but whatever happened, Hope was no longer in control. She'd made the first step in reconnecting. Whether Freya believed her or not, she'd be moving to New Orleans soon and then she could meet Freya face to face and demand that she go through with the spell if she didn't believe her.

Ryan and her baby were her family now and she would do whatever it took to ensure their safety and survival, and that meant facing the family she'd been ripped away from so many years before. But that thought terrified her, because it meant opening herself up to the rejection of the people he loved.

To calm herself, she focused on listening to the soft beat of her baby's growing heart. This little miracle, the child Ryan thought he'd never have, proof that she was stronger than the monster that took the memories of her away from those who once loved her.

All at once, there was a burst of flames and an envelope appeared with _Hope _written across it in Freya's handwriting. The moment of truth had arrived. With shaking hands, Hope picked it up and opened it up.


	16. Chapter 16

Hope's hands shook as she opened the letter from her aunt.

_Hope,_

_However this is possible, I believe you. I have no choice, __because __every spell I've done on __your__ blood proves that you are family._

_I want you to know that y__ou, your child, and the father of your child are more than welcome to __come to New Orleans and __you will have a home with us__. __Let me know when you arrive in the city and meet me at Rousseau's._

_I__n the meantime, I'll be doing what I can to return people's memories of you. __T__here's a hole __in our lives and I think it's __where you should be. I hope you come home soon._

_Always and forever,_

_Freya Mikaelson_

Hope reread the letter over and over again, before she was finally able to process the words. She could go home! Her baby would be a part of the Crescent pack and she wouldn't be so alone during her pregnancy.

All the emotions she'd been holding in for the last decade ripped through her and she couldn't fight it now. She didn't have a reason to. Her family wouldn't turn their backs on her and she could finally call herself a Mikaelson once more.

Sobs tore at her and she buckled, wrapping her arms around her middle. If she didn't, she was afraid that she might fly apart at the seams.

This was how Ryan found her a while later and he pulled her against his chest.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Freya." Unable to finish speaking, she shoved the letter at him, to allow him to read it.

"She accepts you," Ryan whispered against her hair.

"Our baby will know my family. We can go home." Hope buried her face in his neck as she wrapped her hands over her belly.

"So, let's get ready. Your family deserves to have you in their lives and you need them, especially with you being pregnant." He covered both of her hands with one of his.

Like this, she couldn't ignore just how much bigger he was than her and even though she was the one with the supernatural strength and magic, she felt safe, protected, loved, with his arms around her. There was definitely a bonus to being with a man a whole foot taller than she was.

"I can go home," Hope whispered. "I can go home."

Ryan kissed the side of her head, nuzzling her.

"I've never had a home of my own before. It's always been about protecting Seylah and Landon and living wherever was safest for them. I've never belonged."

"You will now. To the Mikaelsons, family is always and forever, and you're the father of my baby, so that makes you family, no matter what." Hope kissed the part of his chest exposed by the v in the collar of his t-shirt.

"Our son or daughter is going to never know what it means to not be loved." Ryan rubbed her belly right below her navel, where their child was growing.

"Speaking of, I um, I promised to figure out if the baby was a boy or girl."

"You know it doesn't matter to me, one way or the other."

"I know, but I'd rather not keep calling the baby 'it'."

"You know the baby might end up not fitting into the gender role the sex suggests."

"I know. But until he or she makes it known, we'll call them according to their sex."

Ryan tipped her chin up and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"I love you, Ryan."

"I love you, sweetheart." He brushed her hair out of her face. "You're so beautiful."

"I'm not. My face is all puffy and I'm a mess from crying." Hope rubbed her eyes with her t-shirt.

"Still beautiful." Ryan stood up, helping Hope to her feet as he moved.

Hope smiled up at him, then caught his wrists, leading him over to the bed.

"Come on. Let's find out if it's a boy or a girl."

Taking off a necklace, Hope lay down and held the jewelry out to him.

"What do I do?"

"Hold this above my stomach. Which ever way it spins tells us if it's a boy or a girl."

Ryan held the necklace over her belly and it started to spin.

"What does that mean?"

"It's a girl," Hope whispered.

Ryan dropped the necklace and leaned over to kiss her stomach.

"My daughter."

"You're going to turn her into a daddy's girl, aren't you?" Hope giggled.

"Of course. I never thought I'd have this, so yes, I'm going to spoil her rotten."

"You know there's a chance that we can have more children after she's born."

"I know, and I will love them all equally, but she'll a little more special because she's the dream I gave up on having centuries ago." He rested his cheek against her belly.

Hope ran her fingers through his curls and he sighed in contentment.

"When can we leave?" she asked after a long moment of them simply lying there, enjoying the feel of each other's bodies.

"Hopefully, things will be settled by this weekend and we can be on our way."

"Once we're out of town, you won't have to deal with Lucy anymore."

Ryan chuckled, his beard stubble tickling her and she giggled.

"I'm sure she'll be so heartbroken."

"Once we disappear, she won't have a choice but to move on."

"That might be difficult because you're a beautiful man and no one else in this town is even as close to good looking as you are."

Ryan pushed himself up so that he was braced on his elbow above Hope, his face even with hers, his brows furrowed.

"What?"

"You think the only reason she was attracted to me was because of how I look?"

"You're a pretty, older, mysterious guy, and she's a high school student who thinks she's more mature than she actually is." Hope started laughing. "You're literally a character out of a young adult novel and she's the heroine of her own story, so of course you'd want her."

"Instead, I've fallen for the powerful, exquisitely beautiful, secret agent who has no qualms about removing herself from people's memories and who falls so outside the rules of nature that I was able to father a child with her."

"To her, I'm a terrible person, moving in on the guy she thinks she's in love with, and if she knew what sort of life I've lived, she'd definitely become convinced that I'm the villain in her story."

Ryan sigh and sat up.

"What's wrong?"

"We need to talk to Seylah, to let her know what the plans are. That your family wants you to come home as soon as possible."

"Seylah can wait a little bit longer." Hope tugged him back down so she could lay her head against his heart.

For a long moment, they lay there, basking in the perfection of the moment, the ancient being holding the tiny young woman who defied all the laws of nature, including the one that allowed her to carry his child.

Shouting from upstairs caught her attention and she sat up, looking at Ryan.

"What's going on?"

"I'm not sure." Hope scrambled to her feet and Ryan followed her.

When they reached the top of the stairs, they found Landon and Raf standing in the living room. Raf was in tears and Landon was watching him, his eyes wide with fear. Seylah stood off to one side, her expression uncertain.

"What's going on?"

"Raf and his girlfriend were in a car accident this morning. She died while Raf was able to walk away without a scratch and now he's flipping out so bad he cracked the door when he slammed it," Landon said without looking away from his friend.

Something about the way Rafael was standing had Hope's hair standing on end and she approached him slowly.

"Rafael. Raf."

Hope touched his arm and he jerked back, his lips curling back in a snarl as his eyes flashed yellow.

"You're a werewolf."

Raf stared at her for a moment, confused.

"It's okay. Just breathe. You're new to this, but you'll be able to adjust. I know about some people in Virginia who can help you adjust and teach you to manage what's going on with your body right now."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm a werewolf too. I know what you're going through."

"Did these people help you too?"

"No. But I do know their reputation and they're good at what they do."

"Werewolf?" Landon squeaked.

"The supernatural is real and sometimes monsters look human."

"Like Ryan."

"Ryan's not as much of a monster as I am."

"You know what he is and you're still with him?" Landon asked, confused.

"I'm a werewolf and a witch. I'd say that makes me more of a monster than a being who's essentially an immortal human in terms of power."

"I'm a werewolf?" Rafael shook his head, his expression confused.

"You are. That anger, that strength, it's because when your girlfriend died, you triggered the curse. And the next full moon, you'll break every bone in your body when you turn into a wolf for a few hours."

Raf shook his head again and backed up, so Hope did the only thing she could do.

Lifting her hands, she murmured, "_Papilio Lux._"

A glowing butterfly rose from her hands and Raf watched it for a moment before asking, "What is that?"

"It's a comfort spell, to bring peace of mind. It'll help us explain what's happening to you better since it's calming your mind."

"Oh." His brows were still furrowed, but he stood straighter now. "How bad will it hurt?"

"It will be excruciatingly painful. The first transition is always the worst, but it gets easier after that."

"Do you go through it?"

"Not every month no. My pack is able to turn at will, so I can sometimes turn several times a month, or not even once that month. But I won't be able to turn at all until the baby is born, since pregnant wolves can't turn. Our bodies won't allow us to."

"Oh."

"I'll take Rafael to Virginia," Seylah offered. "Landon and I can live close by to him, just in case."

She raised an eyebrow just a little at Ryan as if to say 'just in case Landon needed the school too' and Ryan nodded once.

"And Hope and I will head straight to New Orleans."

"Why New Orleans? Why don't you and Hope come with us?" Landon asked.

"It's where I'm from and it's time for me to go home. My family wants me home and I need my pack."

"Werewolves have packs, like in the stories?" Raf asked.

"Yes. There is a pack at the school you'll be going to and they may want you to go through whatever initiation this pack requires, but wolves protect their own and once you prove yourself to them, they'll have your back, no matter what."

"I don't need a pack." Raf denied.

"Every wolf needs a pack. The pack is family, and family is always and forever. It's instinctive to want to belong to one."

"You've survived alone. Why can't I?" Raf seemed almost defiant, but it was a defiance Hope understood. He was terrified.

"It's been hell being alone, especially during the first few months, when you're still trying to adjust to this new normal you're in, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It's hard to be alone as a werewolf." Hope stepped back, her hands cradling her belly. "It's even more difficult to be a werewolf alone while pregnant, so that's I'm finally going home."

"This school, will they judge me?"

"You didn't kill her on purpose. It was an accident. So they'll accept you as a student. That's their one thing. They can't accept cold blooded killers. Which is the main reason I never tried to attend. I triggered the curse by committing murder and I don't feel bad for it."

"A Triad agent, I'm assuming," Seylah mused.

"Yes." Turning back to Raf, she said, "Don't become like me. You've got the chance for a good life. Don't throw it away. Please."

"Okay. Just let me go to the funeral." Raf deflated even more and it took everything in her not to go over and hug him. He didn't know her and she didn't know how to hug properly, so anything she might do to try to comfort him would end up making the situation worse than it already was.

"Of course. Grieving properly helps you heal and adjust more quickly. Believe me, now that you've triggered the curse, you do not want to bottle up your feelings, because when we explode, people can and do get hurt."

"How do you deal with it?"

"I paint."

"I don't have the patience for that."

"You don't have to. We're all different and this school will help you find a way to manage yourself in a way that you enjoy."

Raf rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, "I guess I better start packing."

"Yeah. The sooner you're out of here, the better. The full moon is coming up in less than two weeks and you'll need a place to secure yourself for the night, so people don't think you're a rabid wolf try to kill you and you accidentally kill them instead."

"I'll go with him. We've moved often enough I know how to pack," Landon volunteered.

"And we'll get started here. I want to be out of here by this weekend," Seylah said. Her gaze moved quickly around the room as if planning out in her head just how she was going to get everything ready for their move.

"Good thing I don't have much," Hope joked.

"You and Landon can use my car," Ryan said. "Hope and I will take hers and I'll get it whenever I see you again."

With that, the conversation turned to planning their move and what else needed to be done to make the trip across the country to start their new lives. Hope's heart pounded with excitement and fear. Soon, very soon, she would be home and with her family. She could only hope that Freya would be able to work her magic before they arrived.


	17. Chapter 17

For the next two days, they packed and removed all evidence of their presence in the house. After getting the paperwork squared away, with a little help from Hope, Raf was now living with them and prepared to leave everything behind so he could learn how to be a werewolf.

Finally, they were ready to go, their cars packed up and everything non-essential donated to different organizations who could make use of it.

"Thank you, for everything you've done for us." Seylah hugged Ryan tightly.

They stood in front of the darkened house, night shrouding them, shielding them from prying eyes as they prepared to leave.

"Hopefully, we'll see each other soon, and if not, know that you've been a good son to me and Landon and I owe you everything."

"Take care of yourself." Ryan pressed his cheek against Seylah's hair, then stepped back.

"Get word to us when you're safe," Seylah directed, then cleared her throat, trying to pretend that she was completely unaffected.

"We will," Hope promised. "When we get phones, I'll send you the numbers."

"Okay. You do that and Ryan, take care of her."

"I will."

With that, they each climbed into their respective cars and drove away.

"Are you okay?" Hope asked as they pulled onto the interstate.

"I've gotten so used to having Seylah and Landon around, it's just odd to not have them nearby." Ryan laughed once. "It sounds strange since I survived for centuries without them, but it now feels like they've been a part of my life for longer than they were."

"They love you and now they're gone. It's okay to miss them."

"I'm also afraid for them," Ryan admitted.

"Why?"

"Because I'm not there to protect them if Malivore finds a way to come back."

"You think he'll come back?"

"He's not dead. I can feel it. If I can feel him, it means that there is a chance he can find away out of whatever prison world you being dropped into him created for him."

"We'll find a way to stop him for good." Hope linked their fingers together and smiled at him.

She yawned suddenly and Ryan smiled.

"Get some sleep, sweetheart."

"What about you?"

"You need sleep. I'll wake you up if something happens."

Hope smiled at him and leaned her head against the door, allowing herself to drift off.

Several hours later, Hope jerked awake.

"Need to pull over," she choked. "Now."

Ryan flipped on the fourways and pulled off the interstate. No sooner had they come to a stop that Hope flung the door open and threw up until she had nothing left on her stomach.

As she spat again in an effort to clear her mouth, Ryan handed her a bottle of water and she took a sip, then swished it around and spat. After several more times, she finally rinsed her mouth out as much as possible and she leaned back in her seat.

"The baby hates me," Hope mumbled.

"The baby doesn't hate you," Ryan whispered against her temple. "You're just dealing with a lot, but you'll be okay once we get to your family's place."

"Is something wrong? Why am I sick now?"

"Morning sickness doesn't always strike in the morning."

"Whoever called it morning sickness was a damn liar," Hope moaned.

"You're okay, Hope. I promise."

"Yeah. Let's get going. Hopefully I won't have to throw up again for a while and we get get some miles."

"But you do need to try eating."

"Ew."

"Drink some water and then try eating something in a few hours."

"Okay," Hope agreed reluctantly.

Once he was certain that Hope wasn't going to need to throw up anymore for a while, Ryan put the car into gear and they started on their way again.

Hope sipped her water slowly, watching the predawn sky as it started to turn pink. She hadn't thrown up at all in the last few days, but as soon as they started driving, she started getting sick again. Was it just the motion that was irritating her? All things considered, it seemed like it.

"I packed some saltine crackers in case you need them," Ryan said as he reached behind him. After rooting around for a moment, he brought out a box. "Here."

"Thanks." Hope cringed, but knew he was right. She did need to eat something.

Opening the box, she ripped open a sleeve and nibbled on a small square.

"If you need anything else, the next time we stop for fuel, I can pick up something."

"I just want to get to New Orleans. Once we get stopped, I think my stomach will settle."

"If you're sure. Let me know if you change your mind." Ryan glanced at her, then turned his attention back on the road.

"I only threw up while I was traveling before. I didn't throw up at all once I got to Washington state, so I think it's the movement of the vehicles that mess with me." Hope took another sip of water and sighed at the sourness in her stomach finally faded.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm feeling better." Hope pulled another cracker out of the pack.

"Careful. You don't want to push it," Ryan warned.

"I know." Hope smiled fondly at the man she'd fallen in love with. "I am feeling a bit better now though."

"Morning sickness doesn't usually last very long, once you expel whatever it was that upset your stomach in the first place."

"Our little girl is making sure I know that she doesn't like it that I'm traveling."

"Be nice to your mother, little one. We'll be stopped soon enough." Ryan placed his hand over her belly.

"Does she even have ears yet?" Hope asked, curious now as to what the little bundle of cells looked like now.

"I'm not sure she looks much like a person yet. Fetuses have the disturbing habit of looking very alien-like in the first few months. Fortunately it's something most seem to grow out of." His lips curled up at the corners as he fought a smile.

"Only most?"

"The Hapsburgs didn't."

"The Hapsburgs were also known for incest so rampant their family tree was a circle," Hope pointed out.

"Don't remind me. They were perhaps the oddest people I've ever seen."

"You knew them?"

"I managed to get work my way into a few high courts back in the day."

"I don't suppose your pretty face and charm hurt your ability to do that, did they?"

"That, and artists of all kinds were welcomed in most courts, no matter where your talents lay. Music, drawing, painting, writing, if you possessed a talent for it, they welcomed you with open arms."

"So, you talked your way into court, only to meet King Charles the Second."

"And I found that my father's face was preferable to his, because at least my father didn't throw fits whenever someone painted his likeness exactly as it was. Unlike his Royal Highness."

"Because how dare anyone make the king look like the assface he was."

Ryan started laughing so hard then that he swerved, the tired hitting the rumble strip.

"Careful!" Hope cried. "I just got my stomach settled."

"Sorry. I was just imagining how he would have reacted to you calling him that."

"Well, I do paint, so I would have had the perfect opportunity to do so, if he took a woman artist seriously enough to allow me to attempt to capture his likeness."

"You would have given up within the day, considering you would want to be true to his likeness and he would have demanded that you make him-"

"Look like you?" Hope teased.

"He, um, he may have mentioned it a time or two."

"Is it true that he was so ugly that he scared his own wife?"

"He did have a face that only a mother could love, though towards the end of my time in his court, I think he thought he actually did look like me, especially once some people in the court attempted to garner favor with him by comparing us."

"Because everything thought you were so pretty?" Hope's giggle cut off in a yawn.

"It was no secret that anyone attracted to men found me appealing and he was jealous that people didn't view him in the same light." Ryan adjusted the vents in front of her. "Now, get some sleep. I'll wake you up when I stop for fuel."

"It'll be your fault if I have weird dreams," Hope mumbled, curling up in the seat.

"Why's that?"

"You're the one who said that Charles Hapsburg thought he looked like you." Already she was slurring her words just a little, her pregnancy hormone riddled body deciding that yes, she did indeed need to fall asleep right this instant.

"I love you, Hope."

"Love you too."

Several days later found them driving down the streets of the city of her birth. She'd spent so little time here that she recognized very little.

"Rousseau's should be open in about an hour, so I'm going to find a place to park and then we'll make are way there."

"With the crowds already out like this, it'll take us about an hour to do both, if we're lucky," Hope commented.

"I think I know a place."

Ryan pulled off to a little side street and after a few tight turns, found a place to park.

When Hope exited the car, she cast a few spells to keep their belongings safe and then she caught one of Ryan's hands in both of her trembling ones.

"Breathe, sweetheart. It will be alright." Ryan fixed the strap on her backpack.

"What if it's not?"

Ryan caught her hands and pressed soft kisses to her knuckles before replying, "If things don't work out with your family, you'll still have me and our baby. We'll make our own family. I know it's not the same as having your pack, but I'm not going anywhere."

Hope smiled shakily and nodded her head.

"Alright? Now, let's go meet your aunt so you can stop worrying about whether or not your family will accept you. It sounds to me like she already does, and even if the others struggle with it, she considers you family. So, I'd say we don't have much to worry about in terms of whether or not you can stay."

Even though his words did little to calm her fears, she appreciated the effort and leaned her head on his arm. With him at her side, she could face the world and whatever troubles this city brought with it. She wasn't alone now and no matter what, she had him. That already put her on a better footing than her mother had been when she first arrived in this city, pregnant with Hope.

Hayley had been entirely alone, a perfect target for scheming witches to do whatever they wanted to. But Hope was a powerful witch in her own right, with a man at her side who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty to protect the people he cared about.

Now that she thought of it that way, she felt much better and her heart rate slowed to a steadier beat.

When they joined the crowds on the main street, Hope commented, "This, I remember. When I first came into the city after my family was healed from the poison, the crowds kept me awake. Well, the crowds and the nightmares that came with the Hollow."

"Growing up as isolated a you did, crowds like this would be terrifying."

"I'm a Mikalson witch. There are few witches who can equal me for power." Hope smiled up at him. "And we're going to meet one of them right now."

They'd reached the bar by this time and Hope stopped by a small table not far from the entrance. Setting her backpack down, she pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.

_We're here. _

"Now, we wait," Ryan said as he helped her put the backpack into place.

"And now, we wait."

Before they could take a seat, an achingly familiar voice called, "Hope! Hope Mikaelson!"


	18. Chapter 18

Every supernatural person in the bar looked up at her, as if seeing her with new eyes, when they heard her name and Hope turned around with her heart in her throat.

"Aunt Freya," Hope whispered. "You're here already."

"I've been tracking you." Freya walked up to Hope, her expression awed.

"I'm here now."

"You look like your mother."

"But my dad put the devil in my eyes," Hope attempted to joke, remembering something someone had said when she was a child.

"You do have Nik's eyes." Freya cupped Hope's cheek. "I think I've got a spell to return our memories. I haven't had a chance to try it though, because it's risky."

"I don't care if you can remember me or not. New memories can be made. I just want my baby to know her family." Hope threw her arms around Freya's shoulders, hugging her tightly as she cried into her aunt's shoulder.

"She will, sweetheart. She'll know her family and her family will remember her mother," Freya promised.

Freya moved so that she still had one arm around Hope, but she could look at Ryan.

"Why don't you introduce us?"

"Freya, this is Ryan Clarke. I suppose you could call him my boyfriend, but that word doesn't seem to cover what he is to me very well. Anyway, he's the father of my baby and I'm in love with him. Ryan, my aunt Freya Mikaelson."

"It's good to meet you, Ryan."

"You as well, I've heard so much about your family over the years, I never thought I'd cross paths with any of you, at least not in any meaningful way."

Freya held out her hand and Ryan shook it. When her skin met his, Freya raised an eyebrow, but she said nothing. Hope had told her that Ryan wasn't human, hadn't she? She couldn't remember for sure. Either way, he wasn't a threat to anyone in the Mikaelson family.

"I mean your family no harm, I promise you. Hope means everything to me and hurting her or our baby is to harm myself."

"I can live with that." Freya nodded, though her expression was still one of curiosity as she regarded the immortal man standing before her. "Come on. Let's go back to the compound. Everyone is anxious to meet you."

'Meet.' The word hurt, but they wanted to be a part of her life, so she would take it. Her family wanted her back, even though they couldn't remember her. Maybe she was right. Maybe her parents' love for her was still remained as strong as ever, even if they couldn't remember who it was they loved.

When they walked through the door to the living room, Hope shrank behind Ryan, allowing his height to shadow her when she realized that every Mikaelson was sitting around the room, including their partners.

Taking in the gathered group, Hope realized that there were new faces in the crowd. Had her mother and Elijah split up? Because who was the petite, dark haired woman woman standing beside her uncle or the man with her mother? Was it her disappearance that split them up? Hope's heart twisted with that thought.

"Breathe, Hope. They know you're family," Freya said when she saw Hope hiding.

The tribrid kept herself pressed against Ryan as she came out from behind him. In an effort to calm her, caught her hand, linking their fingers, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Um, hi." Hope waved at them.

Ryan wrapped one arm around her shoulders and held her close while she moved her hands to her belly, as if to protect the baby.

"Welcome home, Hope." Elijah's voice, so warm and gentle, like it was when she was a kid, it made her feel a little less nervous about being with her family.

"I know you don't remember me, but I just want you to know that I love you and I've missed you every day."

"I think we've missed you just as much, even if we can't remember you," her uncle said with a soft smile.

"Come on. Sit down." Freya gestured towards an empty love seat.

Ryan guided Hope over to the seat and she curled up against him. Even though she was a little less nervous upon seeing that they weren't going to reject her straight off, she was still scared and instinctively trying to protect the child she carried.

"Freya said that you're pregnant."

Hearing Hayley's voice brought tears to Hope's eyes and she choked back a sob as she nodded. It was her mother speaking to her, trying to get to know who she was now and she wanted to tell her everything, but she'd let her mother ask the questions.

"I can hear the heartbeat." Hayley tilted her head to one side, listening.

"It's a girl." Hope didn't bother trying to hide the smile as she talked about the tiny form growing within her.

Ryan shifted beside her, placing his hand over her belly.

"She's going to be a daddy's girl, isn't she?" Hayley chuckled when she saw Ryan's actions.

"Of course she will be. After centuries of believing that I couldn't have a child, she's proof that my creator was wrong about me."

"What happened?" Klaus finally asked. He shifted a little, as if uncomfortable with the affection between Ryan and Hope.

She didn't suppose it was easy to find out that he was a father, only to find out that his daughter was already involved in a romantic relationship and pregnant. Now to see affection between his baby girl and the father of said baby girl's baby, for a man as possessive as Klaus, definitely difficult.

She didn't want to answer his question, but she knew that if she wanted them to understand why she'd stayed away, they needed to know. So, in a halting voice, Hope told the story of how she'd been taken by Triad and how she'd ended up becoming a slave to them, about how she'd considered transitioning, just so she could flip the switch. When she talked about meeting Ryan, she couldn't resist leaning against him and pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

Ryan tightened his hold on Hope, trying to lend her what strength he could. While he knew the story already, knowing how difficult it was for her to tell it it to the family who didn't remember her, he knew her well enough to know that she needed him, desperately.

For a long moment, there was no sound, no one sure what to say about the pain Hope had endured before meeting Ryan. Her family looked at each other, shock and horror written across their faces.

"Were you ever going to come back?" Hayley asked, finally breaking the silence. Her brows furrowed and she swallowed thickly.

"I um, I wanted to come back, but I didn't want to face coming home and being rejected because no one remembered me, so I stayed away. Then I found out I was pregnant and once I got over the shock, I fell in love with the baby and I realized that even if you couldn't remember me, that love you felt for me wouldn't just disappear."

Hope stared at the floor, them met her mother's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mama. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do."

"I know." Hayley smiled sadly. "But you're a survivor and you fought back. Now you're here and whatever happens from here out, we'll face it together."

Hope smiled at her mother.

"You can't compel an Original," Klaus muttered, his face darkening. "So whatever is powerful enough to erase our memories has to be destroyed."

"We'll deal with it, Niklaus," Elijah assured him.

"After Hope has had her baby, because it seems she is this creature's weakness. Fighting monsters while pregnant is never a good idea. Your daughter is going to be protected and safe while she's carrying your grandchild, Nik," Rebekah cut in.

"Of course." Klaus deflated.

"And we'll have to break it to the people here that Hope is a tribrid and that the father of her child isn't human either." Davina glanced at Ryan as she spoke..

"After we've brought back our memories, so we can answer the questions people will have," Kol added.

"Right. We will need to handle that carefully."

"We'll get through this the way we've gotten through everything else," Elijah said. "Together."

"Have you thought of a name yet?" Rebekah asked.

"Uh, no. Everything's just happening so fast, we haven't had time to talk about names or anything beyond the fact that I'm pregnant."

"Well you do have a few months before you have to worry about that." Rebekah smiled gently.

"With the way things seem to be going, we won't have a name until the day she's born," Ryan joked.

Hope elbowed Ryan's ribs even though she knew it was true.

"Ow." Ryan rubbed his side, but the smile on his face told her that she hadn't actually hurt him.

"We'll try to keep that from happening," Freya promised.

"Is there anything you want? Anything you're craving?" Hayley asked. "Keelin got a few things that are the most common."

"But if there is anything I didn't get, I will be more than happy to go out and get something for you."

"Um." Hope thought about it for a moment before saying, "A peanut butter milkshake, whipped cream on the bottom and mangos."

"We've got everything we'll need for the milkshake, but I'll have to head out for mangos." Keelin stood up, heading towards the door.

"You don't have to go right now." Even as she spoke, her stomach twisted in rebellion.

"Pregnancy cravings are no joke and I know a place that'll have the fruit ready when I get there. I'll be right back" Keelin smiled, sliding her purse over her shoulder.

"She really didn't have to do that." Hope felt horrible that her cravings sent someone out just to satisfy them.

"You're pregnant and you're home. Get used to being taken care of," Rebekah called over her shoulder.

Silence descended and Hope started playing with her hands nervously. Ryan placed his hand over hers.

Hope leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder.

"There you go." Rebekah placed a tall glass on table in front of her. "Peanut butter milkshake with whipped cream on the bottom."

"Thank you." Hope took a sip and smiled at her aunt.

"Now, tell us about the sort of monsters you fought."

After talking for several hours, exhaustion finally caught up to her and she leaned into Ryan more. As if knowing what she was feeling, he kissed the top of her head and pressed his cheek against her hair as he wrapped his arm more securely around her.

"I think Hope is about to go to sleep on us," Freya remarked.

"I don't want to sleep though," Hope mumbled. "I don't want to miss anything."

"You're not going to miss anything, I promise."

Hope yawned, and nuzzled deeper into Ryan's side, wrapping herself more tightly around him.

"I'll carry her." Klaus tried reaching for her, but Hope wouldn't release her grip on her lover.

"She doesn't seem willing to let him go, Nik," Freya's gentle voice cut through.

"She's my daughter."

"And right now, you're strangers to each other," Elijah spoke up. "You need to give it time, get to know each other again, because right now, he's the only person she knows and trusts."

"Please. Don't fight. Need your memories first," Hope struggled to speak, but she wasn't sure if she actually said it, or if she just thought it. This point between dreams and waking was such a strange place to be.

"Wait, Niklaus, please. After everything she's been through, she's scared to trust us because she's afraid we can still reject her."

Hope heard Klaus step back and sigh heavily.

"Take care of my daughter, golem. Because if you hurt her, I will find a way to end you," Klaus swore in a dangerous growl.

"I will do everything in my power to make her happy and keep her safe," Ryan promised.

"Think you can carry her, Ryan?" Freya asked.

"Yes."

Ryan picked Hope up and she wrapped her arms more securely around his neck. With a contented sigh, she drifted as he carried her through the house she'd only seen a few times. She'd need a map to get around, because they'd taken so many turns, she had no idea where they were anymore.

She must have said it out loud because, Freya laughed, "It won't take long for you to know what is where."

Hope drifted again, only waking up when Ryan laid her on the bed and pulled her shoes off.

"You're staying with me," Hope grabbed his arm and tugged him down beside her.

"She's already carrying your child, so Klaus can't say anything about you sharing a bed with his daughter."

After a moment, Ryan lay down beside her. Hope draped herself across him, faintly registering that he'd removed his shirt before he'd climbed into bed with her.

"Goodnight, Hope," Freya said. "When you wake up, sweet girl, hopefully, we'll remember you."

"You're gonna try the spell?" Hope mumbled. It was a risk, possibly erasing the locked away memories of her from their minds completely, possibly including the remaining love they had for her.

"You're family and family is always and forever. I'm willing to risk it for you. I'm strong and I know what I want. I want to remember the niece we fought so hard for. There's no indecision in me, no second guessing, so don't worry about me removing you completely from our minds."

The door shut behind Freya, leaving the couple alone.

Nuzzling her head under his chin, she inhaled, the scents of home and Ryan mixing together, wrapping around her like a blanket, caressing her, cradling her in a cocoon. She was home and when she woke up, her family would remember her. Maybe, just maybe, things were finally starting to look up.

**AN: I'm so sorry I'm so late. I'm a trucker and they've had me hammering down. I hope this makes up for it**


	19. Chapter 19

Hope drifted to the waking world slowly and she stretched languidly. As she shifted, she became more aware of Ryan lying beside her and warmth pooled in her lower belly. Ryan sighed in his sleep in response to her movements and pressed his face against her shoulder blades.

She listened for a long moment, but heard no one in the house. Were they actually alone?

Sitting up, she pulled the sheets down his hips and unzipped his pants. With a small smile playing around her mouth, she pulled his cock out and ran her hand up and down the length. As he hardened in her grasp, she bit her lip, suddenly uncertain. She'd never done this before, so she only had a theory and could only hope that she brought him the same pleasure he brought her.

Hope hooked her hair behind her ears and leaned over, taking him slowly into her mouth, then hollowing her cheeks out as she lifted her head. When she had just the tip between her lips, she caressed it with her tongue, before taking him back into her mouth.

When Hope tried to swallow him, he was so thick and long that she gagged and even when she tried to work past her reflex, she just couldn't fit him down her throat. So, she brought one hand into play, stroking what she couldn't fit into her mouth.

As he started to respond more, Ryan's lips parted and he sighed, twisting his head from one side to the other, though he remained asleep.

The taste of him was salty and strange and her jaw ached, but she pushed those aside and focused on the fact that this was for the man she loved, to bring him pleasure. Everything he did during sex had been for her pleasure, so now it was time for her to do the same for him.

As he neared consciousness, Ryan moaned, rocking a little into her mouth.

"Damn," Ryan mumbled, still more asleep than awake, then he exhaled in the softest, "Oh," when he focused on her, almost as if he couldn't believe what was happening.

Hope looked up at him, smiling around his cock when she met his gaze. With another whispered exhale of pleasure, he carded his fingers through her hair, as his hips jerked, though he didn't thrust up fully into her mouth.

With one hand, she tugged his pants down a little more, then raked her nails along his inner thigh.

"Sweetheart, please."

Hearing the man she loved beg for more while she had him in such a vulnerable position, it made her feel powerful, sexual. She was a woman, bringing the man she loved pleasure.

"Hope." Her name came out in a strangled cry. "Oh, god."

For not knowing much about what she was doing, he was certainly responding, and a rush of pride flooded her. This was what she wanted, to learn what he liked, and right now, it seemed he liked being woken up like this.

Ryan started tugging on her hair, trying to pull her head up.

"I'm gonna cum, sweetheart." Ryan made a keening sound in the back of his throat and his stomach muscles quivered.

Determined to see this through, Hope refused to let him pull her off him.

When he realized that she wasn't going to release him, he threw his head back, a groan tearing from between his lips a he climaxed. Hope choked at the rush of his release filled her mouth, but she somehow managed to swallow it.

As he started softening, Hope finally lifted her head and licked her lips.

"Good morning." She smiled down at him.

Ryan fixed his pants and then tugged her down so that she was lying with her head pillowed on his upper arm.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Thank you for the lovely wake up."

"You've been so good to me, that I figured it was time I started doing the same for you."

"You don't owe me anything." Ryan's brows furrowed.

"It's not about owing. It's about wanting to make you feel as good as you've made me feel." Hope cupped his cheek. "You've already helped introduce me to things I like, so now I want you to teach me what you like."

Ryan rolled onto his back, so that Hope was sprawled across his chest.

"So, you want to explore what I like."

"I do. You're so good with me, so I want to make you feel the same way."

"And we'll figure out if there's something you like that I haven't done, so we can explore together." Ryan hooked her hair behind her ear.

"You've had other lovers, so you know so much more than I do."

"Just because I know how to bring you pleasure doesn't mean that you can't teach me what you like."

"I like what you do to me."

With that, he kissed her deeply, not seeming to mind the taste of him on her tongue.

Hope moaned, sliding her leg up his side. As his tongue caressed hers, he unbuttoned her pants and pushed her panties aside, plunging his long fingers into her. As he stroked her, his movements mimicking making love, he shifted them so that she was lying more across his body.

"I love you, Hope," Ryan whispered against her lips. "I love you, so much."

"I love you too." Hope whimpered.

She'd already been so worked up from what she'd done for Ryan that the coil started tightening right away and she writhed against him.

"You're so beautiful, Hope, so damn beautiful," he murmured before kissing her once more.

The coil snapped and she cried out into his mouth.

"Now, it really is a good morning." Ryan grinned and kissed her lightly on the lips.

Hope tucked her head under his chin and sighed.

"We should probably take a shower and get dressed soon. My family won't be gone for much longer." Hope nuzzled his chest.

"They're performing the spell to return their memories, aren't they?"

"Yes!" Hope leaped off the bed and Ryan started laughing as he followed her.

Her family would remember her when they came back! Her heart pounded with excitement and she felt giddy. She'd finally have her family and she could call herself a Mikaelson without feeling like an impostor.

Tears suddenly started forming and she slid down the wall, sobbing.

"Shh, shh, sweetheart."

Ryan knelt down beside her and wrapped his arms around her.

"They're my family and they're going to remember me."

"I know. I know. Come on. Let's get cleaned up so you're ready to meet them." Ryan brushed her tears away with his thumbs.

Hope nodded and hiccuped.

Ryan stood up and held out his hand. Hope took it and got to her feet. He cupped her cheek, then kissed her lightly on the lips.

"It's just so much," she whispered.

"I know." He hooked a curl around his finger and then turned the water on in the shower. "Come on, sweetheart, a warm shower will help you feel better."

Hope nodded. "Pregnancy hormones suck. They make me an emotional wreck."

She rubbed her face roughly.

"I think anyone would be a bit emotional if they were in your situation, whether they were pregnant or not."

Ryan ran his thumbs along the top of her pants, then tugged her shirt over her head.

"I don't think I want sex right now, believe it or not." She didn't want to turn him down, but she knew she wouldn't be able to focus on him or what they were doing, with her mind so twisted into knots the way it was.

"This isn't about sex, sweetheart. It's about taking care of you, about ready to see your family again."

With that, Hope allowed him to strip her naked while she undid his pants.

It really was a shame that she wasn't in the mood for sex, because he was a beautiful man, and seeing him naked tempted her to try. But she knew that she wouldn't be able to focus on it, and that wasn't fair to either of them.

With the warm water flowing over them, they started running soap filled sponges over each others' bodies. Like this, she could lower all her guards, let him behind her walls, and be completely vulnerable with him.

His dark eyes were intense, yet gentle as he bathed her, his long fingers massaged her tense muscles, caressing her, soothing her. The tension finally started fading from her body and she leaned into him, resting her head over his heart.

With her head right beneath his, Ryan poured some shampoo into his hand then rubbed it into her hair.

"You know they love you."

"I know. I just feel like I failed them by staying away."

"You didn't fail. You were trying to protect them and yourself."

Ryan tilted her head back to rinse the shampoo out, then smoothed some conditioner into her hair. He carded the conditioner through the strands with his fingers, before guiding her head back under the spray.

"You're a strong woman who survived hell and they've got no reason to feel anything except for pride and love for you."

Ryan turned the water off and grabbed a towel out of the cupboard.

After they finished dressing and getting ready for the day, they reentered the bedroom. Catching her hand, Ryan turned her towards him, then caught her face in his hands and kissed her softly.

"Thank you," Hope whispered.

"For what?"

"For being you."

Someone banged on the door just then and Klaus shouted, "Hope! Open the door!"

Taking a deep breath, Hope walked over to the door and turned the knob. When she swung open the door, it revealed Klaus's tear stained face.

"Hope," Klaus whispered.

"Hi, Dad."

Klaus pulled Hope against him, pressing his face into her hair.

"My littlest wolf, come back to me."

"I didn't want to stay away," Hope whimpered. "I wanted to come home."

Klaus started to cry then and tightened his grip on Hope.

"You're home now. My beautiful little princess, all grown up."

"Hope!" Hayley shouted from down stairs and a moment later, she too was hugging the tribrid while crying.

"Mom."

Her mother. She was there, with memories of her. Hope broke down, sobbing hard. Finally, she could be the little girl she'd been forced to abandon when she'd been taken, and allow her parents to take some of the hurt and loneliness she'd endured.

"My little girl. Oh, my little girl."

"I missed you, Mama, so much." Her mother had been her entire world before she'd been kidnapped and now, she was back in her arms.

After a long moment, her parents stepped back, though they still kept a hand on her.

"My baby is having a baby," Hayley murmured.

"Yeah." One of Hope's hands moved to her belly. In just a few weeks, she'd be obviously pregnant, and everyone would know that she was carrying Ryan's daughter.

"The supernatural element now knows you exist and Freya is making sure that people know that your child and Ryan are under our protection," Klaus informed her.

He tugged her against him and kissed the top of her head.

"Come here, Ryan." Hayley held out her hand, encouraging him to come closer. "You're the father of Hope's child and you're both clearly in love with each other, so that makes you family."

Ryan shoved his hands into his front pockets and approached them slowly. Once he was standing directly behind Hope, he wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands over hers, as if in effort to shield the child growing within her from the outside world.

"Are the others downstairs?" Hope asked, leaning into Ryan's embrace.

"Yes. They just wanted to give us a few minutes with you first." Hayley squeezed Hope's arm and smiled at her.

Like this, with her parents and Ryan, she felt whole, like she could face the world.

"Come on. I want to see them."

Hope wrapped her hand around her mother's as Ryan released his hold around her waist and stepped back so Klaus could tuck her other hand in the crook of his elbow. Hope looked back up at him and smiled.

When they entered the living room, Rebekah raced across the room and hugged her tightly.

"Aunt Rebekah."

"You have no idea how much we missed you. Just because we couldn't remember you doesn't mean we didn't feel your absence." Rebekah stepped back and brushed Hope's hair behind her ears, tears streaming down her face. "Because we did miss you, every day. Our miracle baby, lost and now home."

"Hey, Bunny." Kol came around Rebekah and pulled her against him.

"Hi, Uncle Kol."

"So, my little nerd is having a little nerd."

"She's all but guaranteed to end up being a bit of a nerd, considering who her parents are," Ryan commented.'

Kol laughed and said, "Good. Someone else to teach all I know about magic."

"Hope."

She smiled when she saw Elijah and he hugged her tightly.

"Our Hope, come back to us."

Hope pressed her cheek against his chest and sighed.

"You're home now, little one. You're home." Freya joined the hug then and that seemed to be what everyone needed to wrap their arms around her.

"You're going to make me cry again," Hope said.

"I think we're all about to start crying," Freya commented. "Our little witch is home, with her boyfriend, and she's about to be a mother. That's an excuse enough for tears, because we're so happy that our family is finally complete."

"Speaking of your boyfriend, I think I've got a few spells that may help with his predicament, being bound to the monster we plan on destroying," Kol spoke up.

"We'll deal with that later. For now, all that matters is that she's home." Hayley kissed Hope's temple.

Hayley guided her daughter over to a couch and she and Klaus took a seat on each side of her while Ryan sat on the floor at Hope's knees and the others gathered around them. Once they were all comfortable, Hope started combing her finger's through Ryan's hair.

This was home. This was family and they would face the monsters plaguing them, all together.


	20. Chapter 20

Hope paused when she saw her father, Elijah, Vincent, and a man she didn't recognize. All of them looked concerned and her father started to pace.

"What's going on?" Hope asked, looking from one man to the next as she entered the room. She adjusted the strap on the bag she had hanging across her body into a more comfortable position.

"Nothing children should concern themselves with," the stranger said in a condescending voice.

"Triad seems to be making plans to come into New Orleans," Elijah replied, raising an eyebrow in the stranger's direction.

"I erased myself from their memories. Why are they coming here now?" Hope wrapped her arms around herself.

"You erased yourself after you destroyed the access to their pet weapon," Ryan said as he came up behind Hope and placed his hand on her shoulder. "They don't know how the pit was destroyed, so of course they're looking for answers."

"And New Orleans has some of the strongest witches in the world who practice a variety of disciplines, so it makes sense to them that someone here could have done it."

"Wait, who are you?" the stranger asked.

"My daughter. Why are you leader of the human faction again?"

"Because I won the vote."

"Or bribed the right people." Hope raised an eyebrow, enjoying the way he scowled. He was rude to her, so making digs at him seemed perfectly acceptable. "Why can't Declan be the faction leader?"

"Because he would have a conflict of interest, being involved with the werewolf. Speaking of, where is she?"

"My mother has been busy with personal issues. Now, I don't see how who Declan's involved with would matter in terms of making the right choices for the humans in this city."

"He'd do whatever he could to keep his girlfriend happy."

"And yet, he's already better at the job than you are."

"Why's that?"

"He'd know better than to insult Klaus Mikaelson's daughter." Hope tilted her chin up and smiled coldly, drawing on every bit of training she'd gotten during her time with Triad to maintain her expression.

"You're- you're-" The blood drained from his face and he looked from Hope to Klaus

"While you're figuring out what it is you need to say, I'm going to go to pay a visit to Marie Laveau's grave."

"Be careful," Klaus said, giving Hope a quick hug.

"If I treat her with respect, she'll do the same for me."

"Do you have everything you need?" Elijah asked.

"Yes."

Instead of asking the most feared witch New Orleans had ever seen to welcome her home like she'd planned, she would ask for her help in protecting the city from Triad. Marie loved and loathed the city in equal measure, but only she was allowed to punish it. Outsiders had no place harming the people who lived within the borders of her domain. Besides, Hope wasn't planning on asking Marie for help and do nothing. She planned to fight as best she could alongside whatever aid Marie saw fit to bestow.

"Do you still want me to go with you?" Ryan asked.

"She needs to meet you, otherwise she might feel threatened, me bringing a new sort of being into town and not bringing said person to see her." Hope caught one of his hands in both of hers and lead him towards the door.

As they walked down the street towards the cemetery, Hope took in the city she was a part of, a city that should have been her home for years. The streets she should have known so well by now were alien to her.

What would her life have been like if the Hollow had never attacked and drawn the attention of Triad?

No. She wouldn't think that way. If she had never been taken, she might never have crossed paths with Ryan, or at least not in the way that brought them together like this.

"What are you thinking?"

"I was wondering if I should regret not growing up here."

"Do you?" Ryan's voice turned serious.

"I do wish I'd been raised by my parents, but I can't regret my life, because it led me to you. We have forever to make up for the lost time, and this baby can help heal the wounds my parents have over not being able to raise me." Hope cradled her belly where their baby grew and smiled up at him.

Ryan brought one of her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles, his lips curling up as he smiled.

"I love you, Ryan."

Near the front gate, Hope paused as a charge of magic emanating from behind the walls grew stronger and Ryan inhaled sharply through his nose.

"You feel it too?" Hope asked.

"I feel something." He gestured to the raised hair on his arms.

"Most people who come around here are able to feel her presence, so I'm not surprised you do."

"I'm not human though."

"But you are a supernatural being."

After a few more moments of standing there, Hope tugged Ryan towards the gate.

"Are you sure she won't mind?"

"She seems more curious than angry, I think." Hope tilted her head to one side, as if trying to get a better read on the energy she was feeling. "Come on."

The closer they got to the tomb, marked up by people who'd come to Marie asking for favors, she swore she felt tendrils of magic ghosting across her skin.

Hope knelt in front of the tomb and set out her candles. Before she could do anything more, they were lit.

"She's listening, isn't she?" Ryan asked.

"She's here, for sure." Taking a deep breath, Hope spoke, "Madam Laveau, I am here for two reasons, the first is to introduce my family to you. Ryan Clarke, the father of my child, created by the golem Malivore, but he rebelled and now is fighting to protect me and our child from the ones who pose a threat to us now. Triad, they're coming. And they mean to kill anyone who's not human, whether witch, werewolf, vampire, or anyone else who doesn't fit their idea of who should be allowed to live."

The flames rose sharply.

"I swear, I will fight to the best of my ability to protect our home, but I'm begging you, don't let these humans destroy this city. Please."

The center candle started to bleed and Hope exhaled. Hope could feel Marie's rage directed towards those who would harm the city the voodoo queen both loved and loathed, with an undercurrent of fierce protection directed towards the tribrid on her knees before her.

She pulled a knife out of the bag and held her hand out over the candle. Running the blade across her palm, she said, "I, Hope Andrea Mikaelson, swear to protect this city to the best of my ability from the threat Triad poses against us and I ask that you, Madam Marie Laveau, the most powerful priestess to ever grace our city, come to my aid in this."

With that, the candles melted all the way down to nothing and the electrical charge faded to a soft, background hum.

"Thank you, Madam Laveau." Hope smiled.

"She doesn't seem to hate me," Ryan remarked after a moment.

"She's no fool. She knows you mean her and this city no harm. And if having you around gives her an advantage over those who pose a threat to us, she will be happy to let you remain nearby." Hope gathered up her remaining supplies as she spoke.

"If making-"

Hope put her fingers over his lips. "Be careful what you say in her presence. She will hold you to it."

Ryan kissed her fingertips. Wrapping his hand around her wrist, he brought her hand to his face and kissed her palm, his dark eyes alight with adoration.

"I love you," he murmured against her skin.

The intimacy of the moment sent a wave of heat through her veins and she pulled him towards the gate.

When they reached the street, Ryan asked, "Eager, aren't we?"

"Shh. Let's just get home, please."

Ryan grinned and kissed her softly.

"So, the abomination returns."

They turned towards the speaker and Hope pressed herself deeper into Ryan's side.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Greta. People like you shouldn't exist."

"Nature disagrees with you," Ryan remarked, his expression going cold. "Nature brought her into being, so I think you should keep your opinions to yourself, especially in regards to someone who's a part of the Original family. Insulting her is a surefire way of getting yourself kicked out of the city."

"I'm not leaving."

Hope raised an eyebrow and with a quick bit of magic, she had Greta on her knees, holding her head.

"You might want to get over your prejudices if you plan on staying here. We try to get along in the Crescent City, home of the Crescent Wolf Pack," Hope said, with a sweet smile. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way. But don't think my father won't be hearing about this."

The rest of the way home was uneventful, thankfully and as soon as they walked into the compound, Hope sought out her father.

"Someone named Greta called me an abomination and said I shouldn't exist."

"I'll have words with her."

"I don't suppose she's forgiven you for killing her husband," Elijah commented.

"Her husband was killing werewolves." Klaus shrugged. "Besides, you're one to talk. The last I heard her daughter still carries a torch for you."

"I've done nothing except give her a way to get away from a war." Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"We'll handle Greta," Klaus promised.

"Thank you. Meeting Madam Laveau was a bit draining." That and she needed Ryan, in ways she didn't want to discuss with her father.

"Get some rest." Klaus gestured towards the stairs. "Don't worry about Greta. I'll have words with her."

The moment her bedroom door closed behind her, Hope dropped her bag on the floor and tugged Ryan towards the bed. As they moved, they started removing each others clothing.

When she lay back against the pillows, Ryan knelt between her thighs, and Hope arched towards him with a moan.

"Impatient, aren't you?" Ryan teased, pressing a kiss to her stomach.

"Don't tease." She rocked up against him, the warmth in her lower belly growing with each brush of his skin against hers.

Chuckling, he trailed kisses up her torso. When he reached her breasts, he pressed his lips softly to her nipples, trying to be mindful that her breasts were extra sensitive now with all the pregnancy hormones flooding her system.

"Please," Hope begged. As much as she liked foreplay, she needed him inside her, pounding into her as hard as he could, sating her desperate need for him.

Leaning over her, he hooked her legs around his hips and thrust into her.

"Ohh." Hope moaned, digging her nails into his back.

As he moved within her, he kissed her throat and along her jaw.

"I love you, so much," Hope whimpered.

"I love you," Ryan murmured against her chin.

Linking their fingers together, he pinned her hands above her head. Hope writhed beneath him, moans falling from her lips and he groaned in response.

Fire raced through her veins and the coil in her lower belly tightened until Hope was screaming his name as she climaxed.

As she caught her breath, Hope combed her fingers through his curls and looked at his face. He was so beautiful, especially like this, naked, disheveled, and relaxed after making love. How had she been so lucky, crossing paths with him? And now, lying in her bed in her family home, while carrying his baby, did anyone deserve such happiness?

Tears stung her eyes and she blinked rapidly.

"What's wrong?" Ryan's brows furrowed and he brushed his thumb beneath her eyes.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm happy. Yeah, I know we've got problems to deal with." Hope shrugged.

"Struggles are a part of life," Ryan murmured as he kissed her forehead. "So, why were you crying?"

"Because I'm happy." Crying happy tears was a new thing for her, but he made her so happy, she couldn't express it with just a smile.

Ryan's lips curled up into a smile and he pulled her against his chest.

It didn't take much longer for Hope to drift towards sleep. Tomorrow, she would step into the war with Triad once more, but for now, she'd lie here with her lover, the father of her baby, and enjoy the moment.


	21. Chapter 21

Where was she?

Hope looked around, trying to figure out what was going on as she studied the bricks she passed, as if they could give her the answers.

The city she walked through seemed like New Orleans, but something about it felt, off somehow.

As she neared St. Louis Cathedral, she felt someone watching her, but she couldn't figure out where it was from. The cathedral was reported to be so haunted that the humans could feel and see the ghosts, so was that where the feeling was coming from? Hope looked around, spinning slowly as she tried to figure out what was going on.

"Hope Mikaelson."

Hope turned around to see a beautiful woman dressed all in white, with a complexion a few shades lighter than Marcel, her dark curls caught up in an elaborate headdress, standing on the steps of the cathedral. As Hope studied her, she suddenly knew who the woman was.

"Madam Laveau." Hope lowered her head in respect for the most powerful witch New Orleans had seen since the Hollow.

"You've come home."

"And the trouble I was trying to escape followed me here." Hope grimaced as the words left her lips.

"Did you do your best to protect us when you left them?"

I did. I swear it."

"Then their presence here is not your fault." Marie regarded her carefully before she spoke again. "You promised to do everything you could to protect this city from Triad."

"Yes, ma'am, I did."

"What would you do to get them out of this city?"

"I'm a Mikaleson. I made a promise, I'll do everything in my power to keep it."

"I've got a spell. But it requires sacrifice. It will give you all the power you could want, to destroy your enemies, to achieve whatever goal you might have."

A chill flooded her veins and Hope waited for Madam Laveau to speak, terrified as to what the older woman would demand.

"Judging from your expression, you understand what I'm asking you to do."

"I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't sacrifice my baby." Hope shook her head, her hands moved to her belly, as if she could shield her child.

_No. No. please. _Hope begged silently. _Don't make me kill Ryan's c__hild__ to save my family. Because killing her would mean losing him, and he saved me. __He spent centuries thinking he couldn't father a child and yet, there's proof the bastard who created him was wrong about him. __Please, don't make me choose __between him and saving the city__. __It would crush him. Please. _

Hope's throat tightened and her eyes burned with forming tears. Her heart felt like it would split into a thousand pieces and she wanted to throw up.

"Even if it means risking others dying?" Marie tilted her head, her expression curious.

"I know it's because of my, because of what I did to remove their memories of me that Triad is here, because if I hadn't run, they wouldn't feel the need to come here, but I can't give up my baby, and even if I could go through the loss of this baby, I couldn't face Ryan if I did it."

"Good."

"What?" Hope stared at her, shocked and confused. What was the other woman getting at? First she all but demanded that Hope sacrifice her baby to going the other way and being happy that she wasn't willing to give up what she already loved? This sudden shift had Hope scrambling to keep up.

"Your heart, your love, they're more powerful than any spell I could give you. And if you hadn't run when you did, they would do to your child what they tried to do to you. And with her father being what he is, there's no telling what sort of powers she'll inherit from him. He might not have these abilities himself, but he's got the blood of so many creatures flowing through him, that it's almost guaranteed that she will be entirely unique."

"And Triad would have had their perfect weapon." Now that Madam Laveau laid clear exactly what Triad would do if they knew about this new species she was bringing into the world, Hope felt a savage fury race through her. There was no way she would let them harm her baby.

"This fight will take longer since Greta is in the area, trying to stir up trouble, and pushing you too far would result in you suffering from a miscarriage, which I won't allow. Your child is too important to the future of the supernatural world." Marie's mouth pulled down into a dark frown.

"What can I do?"

"I'll give you the spells you need to protect this city from those who would destroy us all and I promise you that they won't pose a risk to your child."

"Thank you, Madam Laveau." Hope smiled widely. She was so relieved by how the conversation had gone that she felt like she could fly.

"It's time for you to wake up. You can express your thanks by not failing me."

"I won't fail. I swear it." Hope smiled

Hope stirred awake, blinking to find Ryan studying her, his brows furrowed in concern.

"I was just about to get your aunt."

"Why?" Hope stretched, the sheets sliding down her body.

"I've been trying to wake you up, but you wouldn't respond. It was as though you weren't here." Ryan's gaze followed the lines of her body and caught his lower lip between his teeth, his eyes darkening with lust, but he blinked sharply, shaking his head so he could focus on the conversation.

Hope reached up and cupped his cheek. "I was meeting with Madam Laveau. She wanted to meet face to face."

"What did she say?"

"She wanted to know what I was willing to do to stop Triad and Greta."

"What did she ask you to do?"

"Nothing I can't do." Hope smiled up at him and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"I've heard stories about her, Hope." Ryan's frown deepened.

"She's respectful of my boundaries and I'm a Mikaelson witch, the firstborn of my generation. There are few witches who can even try to match me. She needs me as much a I need her with Triad and Greta trying to cause trouble."

Ryan placed his hand over her lower belly, his expression softening.

"Madam Laveau said that she's important to the supernatural world and has sworn not to do anything to risk her life."

Ryan rolled them so that he was lying on his back and Hope was on top of him.

"She tested me," Hope admitted, pressing a kiss to his chest. "She offered to give me the power, and spells that would wipe out our enemies, but it would kill the baby and when I refused, she said that I'd passed her test. She wants this baby to live."

"I love you," Ryan whispered.

"I love you too and as much as always and forever means the world to me, I'll burn the world down and cut all ties with my family if it means protecting you and our baby."

"What did she ask for in exchange?"

"That I protect this city from Triad and Greta. That's how I'm supposed to thank her, to use what she's giving me to keep them from harming New Orleans and since she is a woman of her word, I trust her."

"Okay." Ryan brushed her hair out of her face and smiled at her, most of the tension melting off his face.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm naturally suspicious of everyone and everything." Ryan looked away, as though afraid of what he'd see in her expression as he continued, "You've seen me at my best, but that's because you saw me in a safe place, but when I'm threatened, I'm not a good person."

"If you think you can scare me, you don't know my family." Hope pushed him onto his back and braced herself on her elbow so she could look down at him.

Voices from downstairs caught her attention and she tilted her head, trying to figure out what was going on.

"What is it?"

"We'd probably better take a shower so we can get down there. My family is anxious to know what Madam Laveau had to say." Hope climbed out of bed, glancing over her shoulder at him and smiled invitingly.

Ryan grinned in response, then leaped out of bed and scooped her into his arms, making her giggle.

He carried her to the bathroom and turned the shower on. Once the water was warm, he led her under the spay. The expression on his face wasn't lust or need, but one of tender adoration. Whether they started making love or not, it could go either way and Hope wasn't sure which way she wanted it to go. Touching, kissing, caressing, the intimacy of the moment twisting her heart and she fought back tears.

"What's wrong?" Ryan whispered, brushing his thumb beneath her eye.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm pregnant. Anything can make me cry, I promise."

"I must have done something right to be so happy, except I was a very bad boy before I went into the pit," Ryan murmured as he kissed her neck.

"You were good to Seylah and you were the first person in years to be kind to me, so I think that counts for something." Hope slid her leg up his thigh and sighed softly.

"I love you," Ryam whispered. "I can't say it enough, because I have to convince myself that it's real, that you're actually here, with me, wanting me."

"I'll always want you."

Ryan thrust into her, drawing a moan from her. Cupping her cheek, he kissed her deeply and Hope dug her fingers into his curls, pulling herself as tightly against him as she could.

"I love you," Hope groaned, her body arching beneath the onslaught of pleasure.

The pace they set then was fast and hard, Hope's moans urging him on.

After only a few more moments, the cresting waves washed over her and she found her release.

For a long moment, Hope clung to him, her mind in a whirl.

"Marry me?" she whispered.

"What?" Ryan pulled back, staring at her, his eyes wide.

"Um. I'm- I'm sorry. If you don't-"

Ryan pressed his fingers to her lips. "You want to marry me?"

"Maybe not right away, but yes, I do want to marry you and be a proper family."

"Hope." A wide smile crossed his face and he pulled her tightly against him.

"Is that a 'yes?'" Hope asked, heart pounding.

"It's definitely a yes. I'll marry you."

Tears spilled down Hope's cheeks and she laughed. "Does this mean I can call you my fiance now?"

"I like the sound of that." Ryan kissed her lightly on the lips and turned the water off.

"Hope had better get down here before I go in there and find out for myself," Kol was saying and Hope sighed.

"Your family is getting anxious to know what's going on with Madam Laveau, aren't they?"

"Yes. Just so you know, because you're my fiance and the father of my baby, so that makes them your family too."

Once they'd showered and dressed, Hope linked their fingers together and they headed down the stairs.

"How did your meeting with Marie Laveau go?" Freya asked as soon as the two walked into the kitchen.

"She came to me in a dream last night and our agreement is that in exchange for her knowledge, I will thank her by doing everything in my power to save the city from Triad and Greta and she's promised that her aid won't harm the baby."

"Oh, thank god," Freya sighed in relief.

"She wants to keep this baby out of the grip of Triad at all costs because of who her parents are, so while she's being very generous, it's also a self-serving generosity."

"Madam Laveau is certainly no fool."

As the witches discussed what happened in Hope's dream, Ryan walked over to the fridge and started pulling items out to make them breakfast.

"After breakfast I'm going to see about getting those spells that Madam Laveau promised," Hope said.

"How do you plan to do that?" Freya asked.

"I was studying automatic writing during the last few months I was with Tirad. So I think that might be a way for her to reach me, unless she goes through Vincent."

"She's definitely strong enough to reach you that way."

"So, while we're getting things prepared for the coming fight, perhaps Ryan would like to go shopping," Rebekah commented.

"What do you mean?" Hope glanced over at him and then back at her aunt.

"I happened to overhear a certain conversation and that means you need a proper ring." Rebekah flipped her hair as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm pregnant, Auntie Bex. My fingers are going to swell up."

"So, we'll get a chain for you to wear it around your neck. And once the baby is born, we'll start making plans, provided Triad and Greta are dealt with by then."

"Even then, I think we'll be ready to take that step, so we'll work around it."

"What's going on?" Freya looked at each of them, confusion on her face.

"Hope and Ryan are engaged and before you get your knickers in a twist, Nik, it was Hope who asked Ryan!" Rebekah added loudly.

Hope looked up at Ryan and he shook his head, a fond smile playing around his lips.

She walked over to him, and ran her nails lightly across his back.

Pressing her lips to his shoulder, Hope murmured, "My family is insane."

"But they love you and they'll fight to the death to protect you."

Hope hummed in agreement. They were in this together, all of them, and she would fight with her fiance, the father of her child, at her side.


	22. Chapter 22

Hope took a deep breath and cleared her mind as best she could so she could do some automatic writing. Now was time to find out what Madam Laveau wished to share with her and the easiest way to get the spell was to allow the older witch to use her hands.

Without even thinking, the pen she held started moving across the page and it took everything she had do keep herself calm. Madam Laveau was in control and it was disconcerting, but this was her spell, not Hope's, and she dared not interrupt.

After a long moment, Hope felt the voodoo queen leave her and she looked over the spell.

It wasn't black magic, but it was definitely dark. This spell wouldn't harm her baby though, so she could easily cast it. Triad wouldn't know what was coming for them and Greta and her crew were going down hard.

"Thank you, Madam Laveau," Hope breathed.

Standing up, she picked up the paper and headed down to find Freya. It was time to protect her family, all of her family. Her aunts, uncles, parents, her fiance, and the child she carried. All her enemies would know that Hope Mikaelson was alive and real and she was just as dangerous as the rest of her family.

With this resolve, she opened the door to her aunt's study and placed the paper on her desk.

"What's this?"

"Madam Laveau, it's the spell she gave me."

"It'll take me some time to prepare-"

"I'll be doing the spell. I just need these ingredients. I promised her and I keep my promises."

Hope got a feeling that if anyone else tried to do it other than her, Madam Laveau would be furious and the backlash would be immense.

"Of course. I forgot who we were dealing with for a moment. She is not one to take kindly to those who break their word." Freya stood up. "Okay. I will have the supplies ready as soon as possible, so we can get this done."

"Thank you, Aunt Freya."

"You'll be showing soon, and feeling her kick," Freya commented, looking at Hope's stomach.

"Ryan's excited, almost more than I am, I think."

"Yes, well, going centuries thinking he can't father a child, and suddenly finding out a girl is carrying his baby?"

"He didn't believe me at first. He thought maybe she was like Landon, and then he thought I was with someone else."

"A man after your father's heart." Freya shook her head and smiled ruefully.

"He finally believed me though."

"And now he's mixed up with the most dangerous family on the planet."

"Which is a good thing, considering where he came from."

"We'll deal with Malivore and save him, I promise."

Hope nodded, fear for the man she loved coursing through her. With Malivore being Ryan's creator, it was possible that his death would result in Ryan's death as well, unless they severed the link between them.

"Breath, Hope. Breath. We won't go after Malivore until we know for sure we can save Ryan," Freya assured her niece when she realized that Hope was closing in on a panic attack.

"Okay." Hope nodded, blinking back tears, taking several deep breaths to get her heart rate back under control.

"Hope, we'll get through this. We won't let him die. I promise. Once Triad and Greta are handled, we'll free him completely from his creator."

"Hopefully before the baby is born," Hope whispered.

"I swear I do my best."

"Because I don't want Malivore to have any claim or think he has any claim on this baby. She's ours."

Malivore didn't get to think he'd succeeded after throwing Ryan away and rejecting him for so many years. No. This was Ryan's baby, her baby, and Malivore would never get to taste victory. Not with Landon, and definitely not with Ryan.

Hope yawned suddenly.

"You've expended a lot of magic, getting this spell."

"It was just automatic writing." Hope shook her head. How could she possibly be tired after a spell like that? She could take down the Hollow and only got a mild headache, but doing automatic writing to get a spell from a long dead witch? She felt like she'd taken down the Hollow twice.

"You're pregnant though, and the first three months are the most taxing on the body, which means you're already expending a lot of energy. So go take a nap."

"How will I be able to do that spell if I can hardly do this?"

"I don't think Madam Laveau would judge us if you channeled me. Now go. Sleep." Freya pointed to the door

Hope nodded once, not one to complain when told to rest. She went from being a superpowered badass who could take anything, to needing to sleep all the time, but that was the very small price she paid for carrying Ryan's baby.

When she finally got to her room, she toed off her shoes and collapsed across the bed. She was vaguely aware of someone pulling the blankets down and tuck her back into bed, then crawl into bed behind her and the scent of warmth and earth and home enveloping her.

"Ryan?" Hope whispered as he curled around her.

"Shh. Sleep." He kissed her temple, then the back of her neck.

Hope caught his hand and pulled it to her chest, sighing deeply. In response, Ryan tightened his arms around her, sliding his leg over hers. As she pressed back against him, she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"I love you," he murmured against her skin.

"Will you sing?"

"I did promise you a song, didn't I?"

"Mhm." In another life, where she was still held captive by Triad, and she thought he was a human.

"I haven't had time to write a song for you yet, so you'll just have to put up with one I learned centuries ago," Ryan chuckled

With that, he started to sing softly. Hope didn't recognize the song, but that didn't matter because his soft, smooth voice carried her away softly to the land of sleep and dreams where all was safe and warm.

When she woke up, she found herself with her head pillowed on Ryan's chest and he was playing with her hair.

"Did you sleep?" Hope asked.

"For a bit." Ryan kissed the top of her head. "But I'd rather just hold you while you sleep though, because none of my dreams could ever measure up to the real thing."

"Has it really been just under three months since we met?" Hope asked, tracing patterns across his chest. "Because it feels like I've known you forever."

"Sometimes, when two people meet, they connect so deeply that time no longer matters."

Hope nuzzled her face into his chest and she shifted so that she was lying more across his body.

"Aunt Freya is getting the ingredients for the spell."

"What does the spell do?"

"It'll remove the influence of our enemies, so much so that if done properly, I think they might be forced to disband. Without their support and influence to back them, it'll be much easier to handle them if they decide to take things to a violent level."

"That's diabolical." Ryan chuckled and kissed her hair lightly.

"I'm a pregnant werewolf. There's nothing I wouldn't do to protect our baby." Hope braced herself on her hand so she could look down at him. Cupping his cheek, she brushed her thumb beneath his eye. "They don't know what they're messing with. No one hurts my family."

"Spoken like a true Mikaelson."

Hope smiled, leaning over to kiss him, her tongue brushing lightly against his lips.

"Tell me a story." She laid her head against his chest.

"What about?"

"You. Your life. The most beautiful thing you've ever seen. I want to know everything about you."

"You know me."

"Yes. But I still want to know about your life. Tell me everything."

"You know what happened to me, with Malivore, what all I went through."

"You're more than Malivore. You don't have to tell a story, exactly, just describe a scene. Something that made you feel like you were alive."

"Alright," he finally relented. "One time, when I was in this shop in the middle of nowhere, the most beautiful woman I've ever seen walked into the room and her smile, it made me glad that Malivore decided to create me."

Hope hit him lightly, laughing.

"It's the truth though. Before you, I never felt like I had the right to live for myself."

She combed her fingers through his curls and smiled softly at him. He gazed up at her, his dark eyes alight with adoration. Catching her hand, he pressed a kiss to her wrist.

"Alright, lovebirds, break it up!" Rebekah called from the other side of the door. "I'm planning the nursery and I need the mummy to be's input."

"It's his baby too," Hope muttered mutinously.

"I heard that. If he wants to help pick out colors and the like, he's welcome to it, I don't mind."

"I think your aunt wants some time with you all to herself," Ryan said as he sat up.

"You're probably right." Hope leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"I think I'd like to get to see about helping your other aunt figure out how to free me from my father anyway."

He was right, of course. Besides, they needed to spend some time as their own people, because they weren't codependent and could function without each other for a few hours. As much as she loved him, she had other people who needed her love and affection too.

"I'll see you later."

Ryan kissed her softly and climbed out of bed, Hope following him.

A few moments later, Hope entered the nursery where she found Rebekah sorting through color swatches and decorating catalogs.

"There you are." Rebekah looked up at Hope with a smile. "I wouldn't have minded if he joined us, you know. He's got good tastes, your fella, but he's right. I need quality time with my niece. I've already lost so much. We've got a lot to make up for. Speaking of, your mother should be here shortly to help. Or rather you and I do the decorating ideas while she gets to spend time with you."

"She's my mom. I don't care if she doesn't have a damn thing to say about what we put into this room. I just want her around."

"That's what I told her. For what it's worth, I think she's been avoiding you a little because she feels so guilty about forgetting you."

"Malivore makes people forget! It's not her fault!"

"She doesn't see it like that. She sees that she had a baby that she loved and spent every ounce of energy protecting, only to forget said child and didn't figure it out who was missing from her life until you showed back up. She blames herself for what you went through with Triad."

"Good thing she's coming over then, so I can set her straight, or at least try to."

There was a knock on the doorframe and Hope looked up to see her mother.

"Hi, Mom." Hope smiled widely and ran to embrace her. "I've missed you."

"I guess you feel like I've been avoiding you." Hayley pressed her cheek against Hope's hair.

"I figured you were busy trying to help keep the peace."

"But I have been. I see you, hear your baby's heartbeat, and it hurts how much I've missed and how I could forget that I was ever a mom."

"We'll work through it, together, because I need you, Mom."

"I promise that I'll do much better, not letting my guilt get the better of me." Hayley stepped back so she could look Hope in the eye and she brushed Hope's hair out of her face.

"When you do feel guilty, just know that it was the blackest of magic that took me away from you and that I survived because the memories of how hard you fought for me helped me remember that at one time, I was loved and that if you still remembered me, you'd still love me."

"I never stopped loving you, Hope. I just forgot your face."

"Then don't feel guilty. You're my mom and it's because of you that I had the strength to make it through."

Hayley nodded. "So, let's get this nursery underway."

"You're gonna be a grandma."

"I don't know what makes me laugh more, that I'm gonna be a grandmother or that Klaus is about to be a grandfather." Hayley started laughing and the other two women joined in.

Hope wrapped her arm around Hayley's waist and pulled her down to the floor where Rebekah had the magazines spread out. Maybe now, she and her mother could become what they should have been if she'd never been taken.


	23. Chapter 23

Hope blinked, confused. What had woken her? She sat up, the falling sheets leaving her bare from the waist up, and looked over at where Ryan lay sleeping beside her. He stirred, the sunlight streaming through the window turning his pale skin gold, and then his dark eyes focused on her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know."

All at once, there was a little flutter from her lower belly and Hope gasped, her hands covering the place where her baby lay.

"Hope?" Ryan moved so that he was on his elbow, his brows furrowing in concern.

"I felt her. She's moving." Hope laughed, tears springing into her eyes.

Ryan placed his hand over hers and pulled her down against him, drawing a shuddering breath.

"She's moving?"

"I only just started to feel her movements, so you wouldn't be able to just yet, but yeah." Hope laughed and pressed her face deeper into his neck.

"I can't wait to be able to feel her move for myself." Ryan rubbed her belly lightly.

"You can already feel the way she's changing my body. So it will only be a matter of time."

Ryan shifted so that his head was even with where their baby grew.

"I love you, little one. So much." He rested his face against her belly. "So much."

Hope wanted to say that she didn't think the baby could hear just yet, but the catch in his voice stopped her. This was a moment between father and daughter, even if one wasn't technically a person yet, and it felt sacred, so in stead of speaking, Hope ran her fingers gently through his hair.

Finally, he lifted his head, a half smile pulling at his full lips.

"I hope she looks like you," Hope murmured.

"But I want her to look like you." Ryan kissed her belly.

"Maybe we'll both get what we want and she looks like a perfect combination of both of us."

"I can live with that." He pressed another lingering kiss to her stomach.

Hope giggled at the sensation, then tugged him up so she could kiss him.

"When will you be performing the spell to deal with Triad and Greta?"

"Tonight. It's the full moon and the sooner we get them taken care of, the better."

"May I be there?" Ryan searched her face, his dark eyes worried.

"Of course." Hope cupped his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her palm and exhaled a shuddering breath against her skin.

"I'll be fine. Madam Laveau promised and she keeps her promises. Our baby and I are a part of the witch community here and she knows having us would make this city stronger and safer, so she won't betray us."

"I wish I had your faith."

"Trust me, Ryan. Because I trust her."

"I do trust you. It doesn't mean I'm less afraid."

Hope wrapped her arms around him, tucking his head into her neck.

"If anything happens to you..." Ryan trailed off.

"I'll be fine, I promise." Hope ran her hands slowly over his shoulders, loving the feel of his warm, smooth skin beneath her palms.

"I'm still going to be there. You're not doing this without me. I know you're powerful enough, but that doesn't help me not worry, which is probably frustrating for you."

"It's nice, having you worry about me, just as long as you don't smother me."

"So, boundaries."

"Exactly. I love you and we need to work together to have a successful relationship, but we are our own people still and need to trust each other in our decisions."

"Okay. I can do that. It'll be harder while you're pregnant, but I will do my best." Ryan rolled onto his back and took her with him.

There was a knock on the door and Freya called, "Hope, we need to get ready for tonight. We only have a few hours."

"What time is it?"

"It's after noon."

"Give me a few minutes." She didn't want to leave the bed, not when she'd just started feeling her baby moving and Ryan was so worried about the affects of the spell she was about to perform would have on her and their baby.

Ryan tightened his hold on her and groaned.

"Hurry up, we need to be prepared."

Hope stood slowly, the sheets sliding down her body and part way off the bed, leaving Ryan sprawled across the bed, completely bare. He put one arm under his head and watched her, comfortable in his nudity. Damn but he was beautiful and she was struck with the urge to pin him to the bed and ride him until she couldn't move.

"Don't try to tempt me back into bed," Hope scolded teasingly.

"I'm just lying here." He shrugged, though his lips curled up as he fought the smile. "You're the one thinking dirty thoughts."

Hope giggled and walked towards the bathroom. Hope turned the water on and then brushed her hair out in preparation to wash it.

The bed squeaked as Ryan climbed out of the bed and a moment later he joined her. Pulling her hair out of the way, he pressed kisses across the back of her neck.

"You're so beautiful." He nipped lightly at her earlobe.

"You heard my aunt. We have to get going." Hope tilted her head back to give him better access.

"I know. I know." He drew back and sighed heavily.

Hope turned around so she could look him in the eye and murmured, "I'll be fine. We'll be fine."

Ryan nodded and buried his face into her hair.

"It's all a mess right now, and as a Mikaelson, my life will always be over the top messy, so you'd better get used to things because of who we are. So you'd better get use to me doing things to protect my family, and that includes you." Hope kissed the side of his head.

"I just wish I could protect you and the baby so you didn't have to."

"I'm the Tribrid. Even with only two of the three species in my blood active, I'm the most powerful being on the planet. So I don't need a powerful partner. I need a partner I can bare my soul to and that's you."

Ryan lifted his head and looked down at her, his expression softening.

"I love you." Hope kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Now let's get you ready to perform the spells. So I can stop worrying, at least about this." He traced his finger down her nose and kissed her quickly

Hope led him under the spray of warm water and then poured body was onto a cloth. When she started running the cloth over his skin he sighed and closed his eyes as he leaned his head back, loving the feeling of her caressing him. But, after a few moments, he picked up the second cloth and started doing the same thing to her, so they were both bathing each other.

After they'd finished washing each other, Hope pressed a kiss to his chest and then shut the water off.

"I love you, Hope Mikaelson." He brushed her damp hair out of her face.

"Now, let's go get ready to kick some ass."

"You kick ass, I'll just stand by and make sure you're okay."

After pretending to consider for a moment, Hope nodded, "I can live with that."

They dressed quickly after that, needing to hurry up before Freya came looking for them. Instead of drying her hair, Hope threw it into a braid so it wouldn't be completely unruly when it dried.

When they got down stairs, Freya raised an eyebrow and said, "It took you long enough."

"Sorry, Aunt Freya."

"It's my fault, Freya," Ryan said. "I was letting my worry get the better of me."

"She'll have me, Ryan. I won't let her do this alone," Freya assured him, her teasing smirk softening into a gentle smile.

"I know that logically."

Freya held her hand out to Hope. "Come on. It's time to get ready. No mistakes."

"No mistakes." Hope nodded, her heart rate picking up. She was really going to do this. She was going to help take down the people who'd held her captive for most of her life.

Ryan rubbed his hands up and down Hope's arms, trying to comfort them both. The feel of his hands shaking against her made Hope pause. Just what was she doing to him by going through with this spell? It wasn't as if she had a choice, but he was struggling, terribly, knowing that she was putting herself directly in the line of fire while she was carrying his baby.

"We'll be fine." Hope turned in his embraced and kissed his cheek lightly. "I promise."

"I'm still going to worry until it's over," Ryan muttered mutinously.

"Of course you will." Hope kissed him one more time, then turned to follow Freya towards the door.

When the moon rose over the cemetery, Hope stepped into the center of the pentagram. Dressed all in white, both she and Freya resembled women from a distant past, Marie Laveau's past specifically, but that was the point. Her spell, her rules, including the clothing worn while performing it.

As she inhaled to start the spell, she caught Ryan's eye and he gave her a shaky smile.

Closing her eyes, Hope drew on the power surrounding her, drawing on the ancestors and the earth as she started chanting. The pentagram ignited, surrounding her with fire, but she didn't feel the heat, only the power of the magic filling her.

Partway through, she felt herself growing weak, her knees wanting to buckle, but then Freya grabbed her hands, joining her. With the extra push, Hope felt the spell release and the fire surrounding them disappeared..

Before she could speak, Ryan was there, wrapping his arms around her. Hope rested her head on his shoulder when he lifted her up, cradling her against his chest.

"Get her to bed. We'll handle the rest," Freya said, her voice coming from somewhere far away.

"Love you, Ryan," Hope tried to say, but she was so tired, she wasn't sure if the words came out the way they were supposed to.

"I love you too, sweetheart. Now, let's do what you're aunt suggested and put you to bed so you can get some sleep."

The journey home was a blur and the next thing Hope was aware of was Ryan taking the dress off and pulling one of his t-shirts over her head. When he lay down beside her, Hope curled up against him, wrapping herself around him and he pulled the sheets up over them both.

"Did I scare you?" Hope whispered.

"Only a little bit, but your aunt stepped in before I could think too much about it."

"I'm sorry. Didn't mean to."

"I know. Now, sleep. We can talk about this when you've rested."

"K." Hope snuggled deeper into his embrace and sighed.

"Just don't do that to me again, please."

"I'll try. No promises." Hope sighed and allowed herself to drift towards sleep.

Her family was safe from those who would harm them. Triad and Greta would soon be wondering why their influence had waned to the point where even those who once feared them turned on them and stood up to them. Soon, it wouldn't be just the Mikaelsons and their allies who would be against them, it would be everyone.

Hope woke up several hours later to find Ryan awake beside her.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No. I'm not mad. I just wish you didn't have to put yourself in that position."

"Like I said before, I'm a Mikaelson. We fight for each other, no matter what."

Ryan ran his hand up and down Hope's back, saying nothing, but he remained tense.

"My family won't ask me to do something while I'm pregnant unless they have no other choice."

"Promise me that you'll look for other options before doing that again. I can't watch you collapse like you almost did."

"I promise." Hope kissed his chest."Andrea Jacquiline. After my mother and the man who gave his life for me when I was a baby."

"I like it." Ryan smiled down at her and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

There was a knock on the door and Freya opened it.

"Aunt Freya." Hope sat up.

"I just wanted to check on you. See how you were doing."

"I'm okay. Just tired."

"Hopefully, we'll be able to keep you off the front lines until after the baby's born."

"Good."

"Feel free to stay in bed all day. You've earned it." With one last smile, Freya left the room.

"All day, hm?" Ryan kissed her shoulder. "I can think of a few things we can do to fill that time."

Hope giggled and kissed his lips as he pulled her t-shirt over her head.


	24. Chapter 24

"Good morning." Hope kept her eyes closed, but she couldn't fight the smile.

"It is a good morning, isn't it?" He pressed his lips to her shoulder.

"You're staring." She stretched her hands above her head, her back arching with her movements.

"Yes, I am."

Ryan trailed his fingertips over her stomach, then kissed her temple.

"How long do you think it will take before Triad and Greta are no longer an issue?" Hope asked, rolling onto her side to face him.

"You're a powerful witch, the most powerful I've ever encountered, so with any luck, it won't take long."

"I just don't want our baby brought into the world with the threat of them hanging over our heads."

"Even if they're still an issue when she's born, she'll be protected and loved, no matter what." Ryan brushed Hope's hair out of her face and kissed her softly.

Hope's stomach started growling and they both laughed.

"Sounds like you need to eat."

"Are you hungry?" Hope asked as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"I can always eat, you know that."

"Bottomless pit," she teased.

"The only trait I got from my father that I'm not angry about." Ryan rested his head on his arm, watching her.

"I need to talk to my aunt about possibly finding a way of severing your connection to Malivore and to see if we can find a way to destroy him permanently." Hope pulled out a set of clothes as she spoke.

"We can deal with my father after the baby's born. You've already dabbled in darker magic more than is healthy for the baby," Ryan objected.

"Fine. I won't go after him right away, but that doesn't mean we can't get ready. Because once the baby is born, I'm gonna kill your father."

"It's unnecessary stress on your body."

"Worrying about Malivore finding a way back is causing unnecessary stress on my body!" she snapped.

"You don't know what he's like!"

"I may have only spent a few minutes in the pit, but I think I remember the eternal blackness just as well as you do. Having that thing come for you or our baby, it scares the hell out of me!" Hope turned on the shower, letting the water heat up.

"Fine. Do what you want."

"I plan to."

"You always do. No matter what it does to other people," he said spitefully.

"What are you talking about?"

"You erased yourself from everyone's memories, and I thought-"

"I did that so I could come back to you, you jerk!" Hope shouted.

Furious now, she stepped under the spray and tipped her head back, allowing the water to flow down her body.

How dare he? After everything she'd done for him, he was still upset about that?

Then again, he didn't know she was supernatural, so of course it hit him hard when she vanished from everyone's memories. Once the realization hit her, the anger faded from her. The man in the other room loved her and he thought he'd lost her, so of course he'd be afraid she'd do something to take herself away from him again.

As she massaged the body wash into her skin, Hope kept expecting Ryan to wrap his arms around her and kiss her. But she remained alone.

"You're not joining me?" she called.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted me to."

"Why wouldn't I want you to?"

"Because I made you angry."

"I was annoyed, but that doesn't mean I don't want you in here."

The bed creaked as he moved and a moment later, the man she loved joined her in the steam filled room.

"I'm not angry with you." Hope kissed him softly. "I know you're worried."

"You're carrying my baby and-" he broke off, his brows furrowing.

"And getting involved in the fights is endangering the child you never thought you'd have."

"Yes." He lowered his gaze, swallowing thickly.

"I'm used to fighting. It's how I've survived. But, I will try to take your opinions into consideration and try to find a balance between what needs to be done and what will help your peace of mind and will keep the baby and me safe."

"Getting to know each other, while worrying about a third person we're entirely responsible for, it's a lot of stress."

Hope cupped his cheek, brushing her thumb across his full lips. Ryan kissed her thumb and nuzzled his cheek against her palm.

"I love you, Ryan Clarke, and we can do this. We can make this work. I just have some bad habits that need to be broken, but I'm in this, with you."

He nodded, a tremulous smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

"I love you," she said again.

"I love you, so much, Hope. So please, don't leave me."

"I promise to do everything I can to avoid taking myself away from you."

"I can live with that."

With that, she rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him. Ryan's lips parted, his tongue brushing against her lips. As she allowed him to explore her mouth, Hope whimpered, clinging to him tight enough that had he been human she'd have left bruises.

She needed him, needed his touch, needed to soothe the agitation their argument had wrought in her soul. After the hell she'd endured, the slightest upset in her new foundation, it left her feeling completely unsettled and the only thing that she could think of to calm this still healing part of her was to have the man who'd saved her make love her.

"Is this gonna be a thing?" He pressed her against the wall, sucking at her throat. "Whenever we argue, we have sex after?"

"I like having sex with you, so any excuse is fine with me." Her head fell back and she moaned.

"Will we ever talk it out, or just have sex?" He tugged at her earlobe lightly.

"Did we talk it out? Or do you think there's more we need to say?"

Hope wrapped her legs around his waist, digging her nails into her back.

"I think we've talked it out, for now." He caught her earlobe between his teeth.

"Until something else comes up that we haven't thought of or it hasn't happened yet. Just promise me you won't keep it in."

"I promise, just so long as you do the same for me."

"I will."

He bit down lightly on her neck, drawing a moan from her. In response, she tugged his hair, guiding his mouth back to hers. As they kissed, she wrapped her hand around his erection, positioning him so that he could take her, then arched towards him, desperate. She didn't want to talk or think about anything other than him making love to her.

"I love you," he breathed, and with one smooth motion, he was buried inside her.

Hope kept her eyes on his and rocked against him, biting her lip at the burst of pleasure.

With a soft kiss to her lips, Ryan braced one hand above her head and started to thrust slowly.

"You're an angel," Ryan groaned. "You say I saved you, but you saved me too. You gave me a reason to live for myself."

His faced twisted with his pleasure and he pressed his face into her shoulder.

As the pleasure coiled tighter through their bodies, they moved harder against each other, each eager to make the other tip over the edge before they did. Hard and fast now, they rocked together, not caring who heard the sounds they made.

All at once, her back bowed and the fire of her climax raced through her veins.

Unable to hold back, Ryan buried his face into her neck and groaned with his release

"I love you, so much," Hope whispered, combing her fingers in his hair.

"I love you."

Ryan set her back down and, with a soft kiss to her lips, he reached for one of the sponges. As he poured out a little body wash, Hope picked up the other one. Taking the bottle of body wash from him, Hope squeezed a nice amount out onto the sponge in her hand.

A soft smile played around his lips and he massaged the sponge across her back. With that, they started bathing each other tenderly, neither saying a word. Then again, no words were needed. They knew each others' bodies too well to need to speak, even if they were still learning to trust each other.

After rinsing to soap away, Ryan turned the water off, then led them towards the bedroom. He was being so gentle, and the worry in his dark eyes made Hope feel the need to speak up, to remind him that she wouldn't be angry if he didn't bottle his feelings up.

"Are you scared that I'll change my mind and fight?" she asked, drawing him to a stop.

"Family is always and forever and you've been separated them for so long." Ryan hung his head.

"I made a promise and I keep my promises, please, trust me."

"I do trust you."

"But I'm Mikaelson and we have a bad habit of going back on our word if it involves family." Hope caught his hand and placed it on her belly. "But, this baby and you are my family now too."

Raised voices from downstairs caught her attention and she frowned.

"What's going on?"

"I'm not sure. But I think we'd better get dressed."

"Hope-"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to get into a fight, but I'd rather not be naked if there's a confrontation of any kind."

Ryan kissed the top of her head and turned towards the closet.

"Do you know who's down there?" he asked as he pulled on a pair of jeans.

"Some witches, I think. At least that's what it sounds like."

Hope dressed quickly then, throwing her hair into a loose braid.

"What do they want?"

"They're furious that I'm being kept from them."

"Do they know you're pregnant?"

"I don't think they care. I'm powerful and I'm in the vampires' mansion, so they think that they're plotting to use me against them."

"You're Niklaus's daughter. What else were they expecting?"

Hope shook her head, exhaling sharply through her nose. "It's been my experience that the New Orleans witches, particularly the French Quarter coven, are some of the most unreasonable people out there. Small wonder Marcel used Davina the way he did after he tried to save her."

Ryan snorted.

"Maybe I'm just extra bitter because I blame their stupidity for why the Hollow was released in the first place to attack me."

After they were completely dressed, Hope caught his hand in both of hers and led him towards the stairs.

"I won't fight, I promise. But they need to know I'm not being kept here against my will and that yes, I am Klaus Mikaelson's daughter and I've come home."

When they reached the balcony, Hope looked down at the gathered crowd, exhaling sharply through their noses.

"Are they insane?" Ryan asked, loud enough for those gathered below to hear him.

One of the younger witches stepped forward, hand raised in preparation for a spell.

"I wouldn't," Hope snapped. "I am Hope Mikaelson and I am with my family. If you have a problem with that, I really don't care. I'm not one of you. I never have been one of you. Why would I want to be, when so many of you have tried to kill me in the past?"

"We don't remember you, so why would we believe you?"

"Have you heard of this little thing called magic? It can erase memories." Hope raised an eyebrow.

Behind her, Ryan started snickering.

"Now, if the only thing you're here for is to try to convince me that I'd be better off with you than with my own family, feel free to leave." Hope turned on her heel and caught Ryan's arm, leading him away.

"I believe she's dismissing you," Elijah said, his voice so dry, the humidity dropped a few degrees.

Raising onto her tiptoes, Hope kissed Ryan's cheek. Hopefully, that would be the end of the witches who refused to believe that she was Klaus's daughter.

"I'd thought you'd like to know that Triad lost all their government contracts and many of Greta's army is deserting her," Freya said as she fell into step beside them. "Your spell is working. It won't be long before they'll be easy to take down without any risk to ourselves."

"Thanks for letting me know." Hope smiled at her aunt.

"And no, Hope, you're not going to be fighting. We'll handle it."

"I already promised Ryan to stay out of the fighting until after the baby is born, so I promise to behave."

"Good. I'd hate to have to lock you in your room."

"It's been done to me, and it's not fun," Elena remarked as she walked towards the courtyard.

"When?"

"Before your dad killed me. The Salvatores thought I couldn't think for myself." Elena shrugged, then disappeared through the door.

"They sound fun." Hope shook her head.

She couldn't imagine that woman being anyone's victim, but then again, Elena had been human at the time.

"I'm not a fan of them," Freya said, then walked away.

"So what now?" Ryan asked once they were alone once more.

"Now, we just enjoy getting ready for our baby, because the immediate threats are being handled by people perfectly qualified to handle them."


End file.
